MisterWestside wrote:The question is how, though. You originally talked about pace, and I gave a season with high team pace and less than ideal roster conditions in which Calderon still outperformed Rondo on offense. I'm arguing that Boston would benefit him when you consider the context.
And I'm disagreeing, and waiting for you to address the issues of roster and mentality that would affect Calderon, IMO. Calderon was able to succeed in Toronto because all he does is play PnR.
I'm not referring to changing usage here, but floor spacing. Calderon would still defer of course, but unlike Rondo you can't leave him open. Even if he takes shots at the same low rate as he does now that's more points the Celtics get than if Rondo is left alone on the perimeter.
I think he'd shoot as much or less than Rondo.. and Rondo doesn't take a lot of threes. The Boston offense actually doesn't generate a lot of opportunities for Rondo to take 3s aside from the previously mentioned low-efficiency bail-outs. Calderon wouldn't take MORE 3s.
That's what, a couple shots a game? With a lesser roster around him Calderon's efg% on those shots has been better than Rondo's anyway, and it doesn't outweigh the sheer benefit he would enjoy with his other open shots on the floor next to KG/Pierce.
Again, though, his shot selection in Toronto has been dictated by a different roster context than exists in Boston. Calderon takes 2-4 3PA/g in Toronto. Rondo takes 0.5 - 1. Calderon doesn't seek shots by nature, so he's not going to go looking for shots that he doesn't have to take. I'm sure that his 3pt shot would help a little, but I think that you're not necessarily appreciating how differently the two teams operate and how that might affect Calderon. Toronto's offense generates more assisted 3PAs for its PGs, so unless Jose starts bombing away freely from 3 out of the PnR, which seems highly unlikely given his reticence towards shooting, it's not likely that this would be a significant part of his contribution to Boston's offense... and what they'd gain there, some of it would be taken back with his lesser usage of transition opportunities, isolations and his FAR less creative passing.