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When 24-year-old point guard Jose Calderon joined the Raptors from the Spanish League’s Tau Vitoria in 2005 he quickly became a fan favorite in Toronto for his hustle and heady play.  Later as he adapted to the NBA style of play, the dead-eye shooting evident in Spain re-appeared and Calderon became one of a handful of NBA players to finish a season shooting better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, and 90 percent from the free throw line.

Calderon’s personal success followed the Raptors as the team made repeat appearances in the playoffs, and in 2008 Calderon was rewarded with a five-year, $45 million contract.  While the first season under his new deal saw Calderon put up career-highs in points, assists and a NBA-record-setting 98.1 percent from the free throw line, a nagging hamstring injury picked up on November 16, 2008 in a game against Miami caused him problems all season.  Rumblings from fans and the media suggested Calderon’s scoring and playmaking did not offset his apparent inability to defend his own position.

The Raptors unexpectedly missed the 2009 playoffs and last season the grumbling about Calderon grew even louder as a left hip injury caused him to miss most of December and the elevated play of newly acquired point guard Jarrett Jack relegated Calderon to the backup role on his return.

"In this game you have to be 100 percent every night if you want to compete and do the things that you want to do," said Calderon.  "Being healthy is the major issue here."

Over this past summer, Raptors’ President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo attempted to trade Calderon to the Charlotte Bobcats in a well publicized deal that collapsed after all the players involved were informed. In a strange twist of fate however, it was Jack who was traded to New Orleans in November and the now healthy Calderon reinstated as the Raptors starting point guard.

"Calderon is an outstanding point guard," said Pistons’ head coach John Kuester.  "He really has done a nice job and developed well here.  He possesses a different set of problems because he is someone who can really do a great job at running a team, he is good at pick-and-rolls, and can extend the defense with his shooting ability too."

With his health improved from recent seasons, Calderon has been able to regain his old form and play better at both ends of the floor.

"Jose’s defense this year has been a lot different," said Raptors’ head coach Jay Triano.  "He has been healthy so his defense has been way better.  He has been more aggressive with his defense which is the style we are trying to play. Instead of sitting back, he has been up into the ball a lot better and we are giving him more definition as far as what he can do and where to push guys.

"We count deflections and being able to get up into guys.  He is up in deflections and getting his hands up into the ball and not letting point guards get comfortable in how they want to run their offense."

Since Jack was traded, Calderon has started 12 games and is averaging 12.2 points on 54 percent shooting and 48.4 percent from three to go with 9.2 assists and 1.3 steals as the Raptors have won five and lost seven.  Toronto is 10-19 on the season.  Calderon has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as a starter this year.

"I am playing with confidence," said Calderon.  "Playing more minutes, I am feeling more comfortable out there.  In the beginning, I wasn’t playing those minutes so it was more difficult to do the same thing."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Calderon is filling another important role on this very young Raptors team.  With nine players 25-years-old and younger and five players in the regular rotation who are 21, 22, or 23-years-old, the now 29-year-old, five-year NBA veteran is the most experienced Raptor on the floor.

"It is great to have guys in their first or second year behind you," said Calderon.  "You try to help them because when I was here in my first year, they (the veterans) helped me, it is the same thing.  They have the same kind of questions and the same kind of doubts.  We have a great locker room here so it is nice to help these guys.

"You need the veteran guys because if you only have young guys, sometimes you won’t know what’s going on.  It may only be little things, but it can help."

The Raptors young players appreciate the few veterans that are available to help them.

"It is really important," said Raptors’ rookie Solomon Alabi.  "They have been there and done that.  They have experienced many seasons so playing around them and have them around during practice really helps me.  They encourage me and remind me that it is not going to be easy."  

In the Raptors’ last game before Christmas, Calderon, who is known for taking care of the ball, was touched for eight turnovers in a poorly played game.  The cause is difficult to pinpoint, but Calderon has been playing on sore feet for the last three games.  However the Raptors collectively played poorly, so the sore feet may have not been a factor.

"I think he has developed each year," said Kuester.  "And if he can stay healthy, because that is the biggest issue for him, he is an outstanding player."

Most of the rumors of Calderon’s imminent demise in Toronto have dissipated over the past month as the veteran point guard has stepped up his play on both ends of the floor and the Toronto Raptors have played noticeably better with him leading the team from the point.  Even the calls to let the young Jerryd Bayless, acquired in the trade with New Orleans, have quieted as it has become obvious the Raptors need Calderon’s veteran savvy.

A healthy Calderon is showing he has become a better point guard over the past couple of years than when he was a fan favorite.  It is very hard not to respect a floor leader that shots a very high percentage, scores in double-digits most nights, and dishes out over nine assists a game while his coach says he is playing effective defense.

If Calderon can stay healthy, it will not just be opposing coaches who respect his game.