Not-so-oddly enough, Calderon finds himself on this list despite not having found himself in the Raptors’ starting lineup for most of last season. He might be the most unlikely of the league’s Top 50, but his unconscious play in TJ Ford’s absence had many pining for him as a dark horse All-Star candidate. A diminutive, not particularly athletic or strong player, Calderon is hardly a killer ballplayer at first glance, but under his deceiving physique lies the league’s most efficient point guard; one who hit over half his shots this year (60% for the month of February, when he really peaked) and dropped well over six times as many assists as turnovers, by far tops in the L. His pass-first mentality was perfect for a team laden with shooters and short on one-on-one scorers; his increased floor time coinciding with Toronto’s best play. He hung 24 and 13 with three steals at Boston in what was likely the Raps’ biggest win this year, but was shackled by 24 minutes/game in the playoffs while his team nose-dove to a first round exit. Thankfully, Bryan Colangelo’s shipping TJ, and we can look forward to more from Calderon next season.
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