The Point Guard – According to Zan

The Players

Jose Calderon

Jarrett Jack

Quincy Douby

The Story

The point guard has been a solidified position for the Raptors over the last two training camps and this year is no different as Jose Calderon will lead the troops into battle once again.  What is new is that Jarrett Jack enters the fold to solidify the back up duties taking over from Roko Ukic and Will Soloman from a year ago.

Calderon is coming off of a hamstring injury that kept him out of a significant amount of games and his health and minutes will be managed carefully by Jay Triano and his staff.

The biggest question mark will be how Jarrett Jack will fit into the rotation.  He is expected to receive minutes at both the point and at the shooting guard position and it should be interesting who finishes games.  Jack played himself into a starting role last year in Indiana and there are some people out there that expect him to do the same if Calderon is hindered by injuries again this season  and/or he continues to be the achillies heal for the Raps on the defensive end.  Either way the Raptors have some depth at this position for the first time in a few seasons.

The Best Case Scenario

Calderon rebounds from his injury plagued season and shows significant improvement in his defensive game.  He runs the team with the efficiency he is known for and becomes more of a shooting threat with the addition of playmaking forward Hedo Turkoglu.  Jarrett Jack provides stability off the bench and runs the second unit with efficiency.  The two guards get along and share minutes without controversy.

The Worst Case Scenario

Jose is injury plagued throughout the season once again and is a step slower than the opposition on the defensive end leading to many late game disappointments and continued frustration from Raptor Nation.  Jarrett Jack provides steady but unspectacular support off the bench and the Raptors see way more of Quincy Douby than anyone should.  Either that or Jose is worse than Jack and there are questions all season long over who should start at the point and it becomes a distraction ala  the TJ Ford/Calderon years.

The Prediction

Calderon will come into the season like a man on a mission, picking up where he left off last season, and will run the team with a more up-tempo style.  He will also find more opportunities to shoot the ball as he leaves playmaking, at times, to his other teammates.  His injury will not be a factor this season as the time off in the summer has given him time to rest and prepare for the rigors of a long schedule.

Jarrett Jack will provide support off the bench at both guard positions and there will be no questioning of who should start or finish games.  Jack will give the Rators a fresh look on the second unit and a valuable piece to plug into key in-game situations.  He will be a major improvement over Will Soloman and Roko Ukic and will lead a very deep bench.

Calderon will also show improved defense this season, albeit not spectacular, but an improvement nonetheless.

Look for Quincy Douby to play in garbage time and not to play major minutes unless there are unforeseen injuries.