Jose Calderon missed the Raptors' visit from the Heat on Sunday afternoon thanks to an injury, but Will Solomon made sure Toronto didn't miss him too terribly.
Not only was yesterday's game just the fifth start of Solomon's career, it was his first in more than six years.
The 30-year-old point guard is in his second season in the NBA, the first coming with Memphis back in 2001-02. He spent the interim between then and now bouncing around overseas leagues, including stints in Greece, Israel and Turkey.
In his first extended showing with the Raps (he hadn't played as many as 20 minutes previously), Solomon looked like a seasoned NBA veteran: nearly 34 minutes, 5-for-9 shooting, 15 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 turnovers in a 107-96 victory. Even more importantly than his individual production, he ran a balanced and effective team offense, which shot 47 percent from the field, got to the foul line 34 times and featured seven players in double-figure scoring.
Not a bad showing at all for a guy trying to replace a player who averages 13.5 points and 9.0 assists (second-best in the NBA) and is fast becoming one of the best all-around point guards in the league.
Well done, Will.