Jose Calderon needs to improve and he needs to improve quickly. The veteran point guard got an endorsement from both Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher at the start of the season, but he is in no way guaranteed much if he continues to struggle on the court. Calderon was named the starter for the season and he has yet to make anything work on the court which is now opening him up to trade deals early in the season.
Already this year NBA teams are getting trades going. The Miami Heat just sent Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies. That could get the ball moving for teams who have been trying to dump salaries since the summer. The Knicks are one of those teams and Calderon would be first on the list to go. According to the New York Daily News, Calderon is quickly falling out of favor as both Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway improve on the year. Grant is continues to earn praise from everyone as many believe putting the rookie in as a starter could be the best option going forward for New York. According to Calderon, he is not listening to the critics and is not concerned about whether he is a starter or reserve.
I want to win, I want to help this team," Calderon said, via ESPN.com. "It doesn't matter if I am starting or coming off the bench or if I'm the fourth point guard, at the end of the day. So it's all right. You guys were talking about me. You weren't talking [badly] about [my teammates], so it was good for us. After 11 years, I know what I can do."
The issue for the Knicks is Calderon's value has dropped. The point guard is no longer worth what his salary dictates and the team will continue to struggle to find trade partners this year for him. The veteran point guard will potentially have a few games left to prove himself as a starter. Arron Afflalo's return could help improvement while Fisher continues to refuse to change the lineup. However, if Calderon stays on this downward slide, he could be headed out of New York quickly.
The Knciks are trying to make the best backcourt for Carmelo Anthony. Afflalo is the favorite for that while the point guard position continues to be an area of debate. Fisher told Ian Begley of ESPN.com that he likes the energy both Grant and Galloway bring off the bench and that might not change any time soon. With Fisher still committed to Calderon in the short-term, the veteran has a chance to stick around.
