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Derek Fisher: Jose Calderon 'still a ways away,' season may be over

Anthony Gruppuso / USA TODAY Sports

Now that the New York Knicks have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, maybe they can let go of whatever remaining illusions they've been harboring about the season. 

Head coach Derek Fisher seemed ready to do so in the wake of his team's latest blowout loss on Saturday. After the game, Fisher allowed for the possibility that point guard Jose Calderon, dealing with a left Achilles tendon strain, may be shut down for the remainder of the season, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post

"He’s doing a little more each day, but I think he’s still a ways away," Fisher said. "Once we get back (to New York), he’ll be evaluated."

Calderon, who will miss his 10th consecutive game Sunday, has expressed his desire to return before season's end, but the Knicks don't want to risk exacerbating the injury to the point there will be carry-over to future seasons. Calderon is on the books for two more years at just over $15 million, and for the Knicks' purposes, sustaining some semblance of his trade value is important.

In his first season as a Knick, Calderon has failed to live up to expectations. Lauded for his passing and ball control as an ideal point guard to run the triangle offense, he's scoring less than he has since his rookie season in 2005-06, and his field-goal percentage (41.5) and PER (11.4) are both career-lows. 

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