Auburn Hills ? Jose Manuel Calderon yearns for the pain.
The anguish that's become synonymous with long NBA playoff runs has eluded the 31-year-old veteran?courtesy of playing in the NBA's version of Siberia in Toronto for eight years.
The quiet but intense competitor has felt the ache of failure, sitting on the bench in London after Spain's gold medal loss to the United States this past August at the Olympics. He can only imagine what it's like at this level, the different emotions.
The elation, the joy and finally, that empty feeling that comes when an exhaustive investment falls short of a goal ? no matter the outside expectations. A team featuring NBA players Calderon, Marc and Pau Gasol, Serge Ibaka and former NBA player Juan Carlos Navarro had dreams of gold, but the duo of LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the United States to a seven-point win.
"People were asking us why (we were upset), 'You should be proud of yourself, it was a great game, it was pretty close,'" Calderon said. "Yeah, but we lost. I think people thought we'd lose by 20. They thought the gold was going to the USA. We were frustrated, sad. But we wanted to win, it wasn't a big difference in the game."
In time, though, he found solace in the effort and pride in Spain's performance.
"We've been (FIBA) world champions (2009, 2011), gold there, but we're playing against the best team, ever, almost," he said. "It's tough, you never like to lose. At the end of the day, you have two silver medals, not a lot of people can say that."
As for the NBA, the newest Piston hasn't had time to ponder playoff expectations, slim as they are entering the All-Star break (6-1/2 games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference).
After being traded, he had to go through the triple whammy of leaving the only place he's known as an NBA player (Toronto), which served as the chief reason it took a while for him to suit up. Calderon was the first foreign NBA player who played in an international city and was traded midseason, leading to the holdup in his work visa.
And as if uprooting a family isn't hard enough, he didn't get settled into his house until Monday, when his wife, Ana, and 3-year-old son, Manuel, moved to the Metro Detroit area.
"My wife went for groceries the first time," Calderon said. "We're going to walk to Somerset Mall today."
Understated, effective
Unlike a few of the more recognizable Pistons, one bets Calderon can fit right in with the crowd without being noticed, similar to his standing at the league's deepest, competitive and arguably most important position: point guard.
While flashy and effective point men such as Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker garner most of the accolades and attention, Calderon brings only the effectiveness, second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.36), trailing Paul.
"Very smart basketball player," said Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva, a former teammate in Toronto. "He knew how to play, very unselfish. I loved playing with him. He finds you in the right position. He puts guys in the right position. Over the years just seeing him grow as a player has been tremendous."
It's why Calderon punches himself on the side of the head when a sure pass results in a turnover, the same reason why he lofted a soft pass over the head of the Wizards' Emeka Okafor and into the waiting hands of Greg Monroe for a layup Wednesday.
The defensively inclined Okafor looked like a batter waiting on a fastball who got hit with a curve, a sentiment many defenders have felt coming over to help on Calderon ? except it won't end up on any highlight reels.
"Being in Toronto, it happens," said Calderon of getting lost in the conversation. "I never live for those individual (things). It's some great point guards in this league. I compete against all of them, some are more difficult than others."
The lack of hot sauce in his game doesn't lessen the competitor in him. Just ask his nephews, all under the age of 10, and Uncle Jose won't let them win in the simplest of exercises, like video games.
If they're beating him, they must be cheating.
"I'm getting better at it," said Calderon, with his eyes lighting up. "My wife is like, 'Come on.' I'm like, 'He's cheating.' She's like, 'They're kids.' I'm like, 'OK, I'm just letting them know you can't cheat to win.'"
It's a reason why Pistons president Joe Dumars nearly swung a deal for Calderon before the 2011 draft, minutes before the Raptors' selection. The Pistons have needed a steady hand for a long time, so when the opportunity finally presented itself, Dumars jumped at it.
"He's a pure point guard," said Dumars, matter-of-factly, speaking to the media after the trade was made.
But Calderon didn't know that at first. When word of the three-team deal became known around the league, Calderon was devastated.
"It was bad because it was eight years in the same place," Calderon said. "I had to say goodbye to a lot of people. I had to start over."
Considering Calderon left home at age 14 to start a journey that wound up having him jump from third-string point guard to starter in Spain in one calendar year (2002-03), he began adjusting to the new possibilities before long.
"It was minute-by-minute, it was better," said Calderon of that Wednesday night in January. "Here it is, let's start thinking about (Detroit)."
Being an expiring contract, Calderon didn't know the impetus for his acquisition, but Dumars assured Calderon his $11 million coming off the books June 30 wasn't the main factor in trading Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye for him.
"He told me that from the first call," Calderon said. "He made everything easier. 'We made this trade because we want you. We feel like you are a piece, you can help this team.'"
He doesn't know what will happen this offseason, but if the Pistons are moving in the right direction, he doesn't seem inclined to leave and jump to an immediate contender. He's willing to build, even at his age.
"Every door will be open. Let's see how we finish the season the right way," Calderon said. "I have a few years left in this league. I want to be on a team that really wants me, where I'm comfortable and I can help."
On the same page
From that point on, he began thinking as a Piston, not a hired mercenary, and went about the impending adjustment that was to come. His first mission: making sure he and second-year guard Brandon Knight were on the same page.
Knight has struggled in learning the intricacies of the position, so with Calderon, Knight is moving to shooting guard.
Territorial feelings could've developed if not addressed expeditiously.
"I told him from the first day, I'm here to help and I'm going to need your help, too," Calderon said. "We have to be on the same page, we have to work together to get better and we've done that."
He went through that with former teammate and fellow point guard T.J. Ford in the 2007-08 season. Calderon became a starter in his third NBA season when Ford was out with injury, and catapulted himself to the All-Star reserve conversation. When Ford returned, he struggled coming off the bench and his frustration was visible.
Calderon, in a contract year, no less, went to coach Sam Mitchell and suggested coming off the bench to accommodate his teammate.
"I didn't care, I wanted to win and make the playoffs. He was getting more confidence starting. I was confident getting minutes," Calderon said.
The Raptors made the playoffs, losing in five games to the Orlando Magic in the first round.
It's why Calderon's goal once he arrived was to make everyone else feel comfortable, and to also get them to understand what it takes, the consistency in terms of effort, in order to even qualify for the playoffs.
"I know what it's like when those games count for real," Calderon said. "Yeah, you can have a bad game but you have one Wednesday. Playoffs, you only have so many, you can't make mistakes. You have more than one (mistake), you're gonna pay for it."
"That's why being in a culture like that, you have to be like that every game. Every practice. So you're used to it, you have to be a playoff team. To know what it takes to get to that level."
In Calderon's mind, the "pain" must be earned. Just ask his nephews.
vgoodwill@detroitnews.com
twitter.com/vgoodwill
Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130215/SPORTS0102/302150343/1127/rss13
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