  Jose Calderon gets around the Boston Celtics' Nate Robinson. (Dave Abel/QMI Agency)
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TORONTO - It’s starting to look an awful lot that Jose Calderon will lead the Raptors’ starting unit at point guard.
Following Sunday’s win over Phoenix, head coach Jay Triano made a point of reminding everyone that he hasn’t been too pleased with the way his group has started the last two games, beginning with Friday’s visit by Boston.
Nothing is official, but Calderon and DeMar DeRozan will likely form the starting backcourt with frontcourt consisting of Reggie Evans, Linas Kleiza and Andrea Bargnani.
It makes a lot of sense on many fronts, including the hidden agenda of making Calderon feel wanted when he nearly got traded this off-season.
The same applies to Evans, but a bench of Jarrett Jack, Leandro Barbosa, Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson gives the Raptors an athletic look that can force tempo and extend a defence.
Whether he’s asked to start games or come off the bench, the need to get off to better starts has been stressed.
“I just think that everybody is trying to do things well too quickly when we start,’’ Calderon began. “We have to calm down. When we calm down, share the ball, help each other on defence, we do well.”
PIANO MAN
Triano had an interesting analogy in describing Evans’ role, which is to get more possessions by rebounding the basketball.
“We have guys who play the piano and guys who carry the piano,’’ Triano waxed. “(Evans) carries it.”
A not-so subtle change to Evans, besides his leaner body, has been his willingness to kick the ball out when he hauls down a board rather than try some crazy offensive move.
