JOSE CAN YOU SEE
Generally, this feature is dedicated for the Cavs' reserves. However, exceptions will be made in today's installment for a player who has embodied the definition of "Providing the Spark" all season long for the Wine & Gold.
Whether he's coming off the bench, cheering from the pine or leading the starting five, Jose Calderon's passion is prevalent.
In Tuesday night's 112-106 victory over the East-leading Toronto Raptors - the franchise Calderon broke into the league with back in 2005 - the crafty veteran floor general posted a season-high 19 points (11 in the 1st Q) on 7-11 (.636) shooting, including a 3-5 (.600) clip from distance, four assists, four rebounds and a game-high tying two steals in 26 minutes.
With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 4-0 at The Q this season when Calderon scores in double figures.
As valuable as Jose's leadership and steadiness has been during his 23 appearances in a reserve role this campaign, it's what he's been able to accomplish directing the first unit that's been most impressive. In 32 starts, the Wine & Gold are 23-9 when Calderon gets the opening nod.
Much like former Cavalier James Jones, Calderon remains ready and his professionalism when being thrown into any situation doesn't go unnoticed by his coaches or teammates.
"He’s been terrific for us. He’s been really, really good for us," praised Associate Head Coach Larry Drew following Tuesday's victory. "As I mentioned before, he’s been the consummate pro the way he’s handled this situation with guys being out and him starting, and when we get those guys back, he goes to the bench. He's just been an unbelievable professional, the type of guy you just love to coach.”
Kevin Love echoed Coach Drew's comments about Jose.
"He’s just one of those guys who you just say is a consummate pro. Just brings it every single day, comes in does his job. On the defensive end, he picks up full court and brings us a whole different energy. On both sides of the ball, he’s super scrappy. On the offensive end, he gets us into our sets, is always hitting shots gets into the lane and always makes the right play. So he’s just always very solid for us and he helps us in a lot of ways.”
As the Wine & Gold get set to close out the regular season in one week, they will undoubtedly rely on all the ways Calderon can impact the game as they prepare for another long postseason run.
BENCH BY THE NUMBERS*
*Stats as of April 4
HISTORY
As documented in the graphic above, the 2017-18 bench bunch is on the verge of rewriting the franchise's record book. With their 41.2 points per game average, they are on pace to become the highest scoring Cavaliers bench of all-time surpassing the 1991-92 squad's 36.9 points per game.
The catalyst for the early 90s Cavs' reserves was the late, great John "Hot Rod" Williams.
Williams played nine seasons with the Cavaliers, reaching the postseason in six of them. He averaged double-figures in every season with Cleveland – 12.9 ppg during the regular season, 12.4 ppg in the playoffs. The former Tulane star’s best season was in 1989, when he came off the bench to average 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.04 blocked shots per contest.
One-third of the best frontcourt in the organization’s history, Hot Rod – famous for his flat-top – never played less than 67 games in any season with the Cavaliers. The franchise’s all-time records are filled with contributions from Williams.
He wrapped up his 13-year career after the 1998-99 season – playing two years with the Suns and one with Dallas.
Back in 2011, Cavs.com sat down with the Hot Rod for a, "Where Are They Now?", feature and here are a few excerpts from that interview ...
The Cavaliers teams you played for were always labeled “good guys.” Was that the actual personality of the team?
Williams: I think our personality as a team, we were like a family.
I played with other teams, but in Cleveland it was more family-oriented. A lot of guys liked Louisiana food and on Sundays, when we didn’t have anything to do, a lot of guys would come over to my house for dinner.
We rode to the airport together. We all did a lot of stuff together.
Was it because so many of you came into the league together at the same time?
Williams: I think the big reason was that a lot of us were married when we were young. We had our wives there and our wives got along with each other.
So we were more ‘home’ guys and we had kids, and our kids grew up together. And I think that made us more like a family team.
How much did head coach Lenny Wilkens contribute to that chemistry?
Williams: We couldn’t ask for a better coach.
When I first got there, George Karl was the coach. I loved him. He was a mean coach, but off the court he was a good guy.
But Coach Lenny Wilkens – he was a guy you had to do what he said to do. And there were no days off. But he really was particular about what he wanted to do. If you didn’t do it his way, you weren’t going to be there. And if you did it his way, you were going to play.
I played for Mike Fratello. I played for Don Nelson, one of the all-time winningest coaches. I played for Cotton Fitzsimmons, Danny Ainge. But I think out of all them, I liked Lenny’s attitude best.
He was a player’s coach. He was one of those guys: He didn’t just care about what you were doing as a basketball player, he wanted to know how you were doing with life, too.
Do you have a specific memory – an instance or a particular game – that you hold special from your time in Cleveland?
Williams: I think about one time, I missed practice for some reason. We were in the playoffs and there was some concern of whether they should play me or not. And I stole the ball for the win against New Jersey.
And the other time, we were playing Boston. We needed to win Game 6. And I was at the free throw line late in the game, and I said, “God, if you’ve ever been with me, be with me now.”
And Boston kept icing me on the free throw line. The goal was moving. The whole building was rocking. I made the first one – (I didn’t care about the second one) – and we won the game.
So that’s one moment I’ll never forget, because we came home and beat Boston in that series.
That series against Boston in 1992 was a classic.
Williams: The thing about that series: they had the big three and we had the big three.
They had the old guys: Robert Parish, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale. And over here you had Larry Nance, me and Brad (Daugherty). It was the old against the young. And that was something really nice to be a part of.
You had a starter’s skill-set, and certainly the numbers. But you always seemed comfortable with your role coming off the bench.
Williams: I knew what my job was every night. Coach Lenny knew that I was a guy who knew what I was in the offense. I got most of my scoring from offensive rebounds, tipped balls, fast breaks, steals, things like that. But the offense was run through everybody else.
I was a guy who did the dirty work and I had no problem with it. But the thing about it – one night I might have to guard Patrick Ewing. Brad was the center, but coach would put me on him. Next night might be David Robinson, next night might be Dominique Wilkins. Or Charles Barkley.
I knew that every night, I would have my hands full. Coach would say, ‘Hot Rod, you’ve got to guard these guys’ and just put me on them.