Fresh Cavs rumors have come out with just two regular-season games left on the schedule. The Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to name Jose Calderon the backup point guard for the 2018 NBA Playoffs, giving the veteran an important spot on the postseason roster. A report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer relays this bit of news, along with another revelation by Cavs coach Tyronn Lue.
Lue stated in a pre-game interview, before the Cavs took on the Philadelphia 76ers, that using Calderon in this fashion will allow Jordan Clarkson to play off the ball. This will likely help the team to generate more offense while placing a veteran in charge of the ball who has quite a few years of experience under his belt.
“He’s been great for us all year. I think just a steady point guard, can shoot the basketball, can run pick and roll. He’s not a bad defender either at that age. He’s played well for us. When he’s on the floor, good things happen, so when the playoffs come we’ve got to try to find a way to get him on the floor.”
With more recent opportunities to find playing time, Jose Calderon has shown that he is capable of helping to lead this team. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer pointed out, the Cavs are 23-9 when Calderon starts and 28-11 when he plays at least 10 minutes. Exactly how this announcement affects the nine-man rotation that Lue likes to work with should be revealed quite soon. The most likely odd man out is J.R. Smith.
Comeback falls short after a spectacular 2nd half effort by the squad on a back-to-back night in Philly. @KingJames 44-11-11 @unclejeffgreen 33 points (5-6 3PM) @kevinlove 17 points, 9 boards #CavsSixers FINAL: https://t.co/GI0QPIwq8N pic.twitter.com/LUYIcPIbn8
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 7, 2018
Despite winning eight of their last 10 games, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost an important matchup on April 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, the 76ers have taken over as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, securing a spot that is just half a game ahead of the Cavs at No. 4 in the updated NBA standings . The 76ers finish up their schedule against the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks. As for the Cavaliers, they get two games against the New York Knicks.
These Cavs rumors about Jose Calderon put the team in a position to take advantage of veteran leadership, which could be extremely important if the team enters the 2018 NBA Playoffs as a No. 4 seed. That would create a first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, with the winner likely advancing to play the No. 1 seeded Toronto Raptors.