Chicago Bullseye Episode 08
Sam Smith had a chat room session on Bulls.com. You can go and view the transcript. Here was one of the questions:
"4:06pm
Why do you think the Bull's should trade Kirk Hinrich? I mean he is probably the best all-around player on the Bulls. He passes,shoots,rebounds and is one of the best guard defends I have ever seen.
Yash, Naperville"
Sam should have responded in the following manner:
"Yash, thanks for taking the time to type out the dumbest question I've ever read.
'He passes'....but does he really pass that well? His assist totals have gone down every year he's been in the league. For his career, he's averaged 6.3 assists in 35 minutes a game...in my opinion, just average numbers for a point guard who has handled the ball so much.
'He shoots'....but not very well. He has a career .414 shooting percentage, which is very Larry Hughes-ish. Last year, he shot .414. So far this year....he's shooting .413, right on pace, and 1 for his last 11.
'He rebounds'....he's averaged 3.5 boards in 35 minutes per game for his career. That's probably what anyone would average if you walked around a court for 35 minutes. By chance, the ball would eventually come out to you. But if you want to label him the Michael Cage of point guards, be my guest.
Kirk "is one of the best guard defends I have ever seen"....Maybe you should go watch some tapes of Michael Jordan, Joe Dumars, Gary Payton, John Stockton, Baron Davis, Bruce Bowen, and Dennis Johnson. Believe me, Travis freaking Diener wouldn't score 20 on any of these guys, like he did last year on Kirk. Kirk's was a solid defender. He wasn't last year. He looks better this year, but you need to watch some more basketball before you put him in the elite class of defenders.
So simply put, you overrate Kirk Hinrich. I'd trade him and the balance of his big contract for an average front-court player immediately.
Now Yash, please get away from the damn computer, crawl back to your bed in your parent's basement, and think about a new hobby, like sewing or stamping.
fred@chicagobullseye.com
The Case for Gordon
By Fred Pfeiffer
Part 1: Free Throws
The Deng and Hinrich contracts, and Reinsdorf's reluctance to go into luxury tax territory, have made Ben Gordon's departure likely. I'm one of the Bulls fans who think that Gordon is the most valuable player on this team. I'll try to make my case in posts over the next few days. Let's start with Free Throws.
Incredibly, I've heard several people criticize Gordon for not getting to the free throw line enough. I've NEVER heard these same people criticize Deng or Hinrich for their lack of trips to the charity stripe.
Let’s look at the total minutes from our big 3 in our best season, the 49-win 2006-2007 team:
Here’s where they ranked in total Minutes Played:
1. Deng – 3,071
2. Hinrich – 2,839
3. Gordon – 2,704
Here’s where they ranked in Free Throws Attempted:
1. Gordon - 440
2. Deng - 359
3. Hinrich – 284
Here’s where they ranked in Free Throws Made:
1. Gordon - 380
2. Deng – 279
3. Hinrich – 237
So, in far less minutes, Gordon was able to contribute an additional 101 points over Deng, and 143 points over Hinrich, with the game clock stopped and his teammates resting. The trend continued again in this past year, when BG led the team in FTA and FTM, with all 3 playing similar total minutes.
In reality, Ben Gordon has been the only Bull in the past 2 years who consistently gets points at the free throw line. Let's look at opening night in the 07-08 season. All I heard from the Gordon-haters was criticism about his 8-25 shooting night from the field. So how did he score 27? He was 8-8 from the charity stripe. It’s almost as if some Bulls fans don’t realize that free throws count on the scoreboard. More often than not, it’s the difference between winning and losing a game. No one criticized Kobe Bryant for going shooting 13-32 on opening night…because he scored 17 points from the free throw line to finish with 45.
Most of Ben’s free throws are earned after a perimeter defender has been broken down. The fouls usually occur when the defender illegally uses his hands to stop Gordon’s penetration or the help defender, usually a big man, has to contest a driving layup or short jumper. Since he’s a great shooter with 3-point range, the perimeter defense needs to play him all the way to the 3-point circle. Not so with Deng, who can’t shoot the three, or Hinrich, who is either scared or unable to get into the lane consistently enough to draw fouls.
"There are nights in the NBA when you can't buy a bucket, but you have to do something to get yourself going, whether it's transition baskets or getting to the line." - Ben Gordon. Ben, please pass the memo to Kirk. And how many times have we been frustrated with one of our own, most often Kirk, picking up 2 quick fouls? Well, the frustration can work both ways. Gordon is the only Bull who consistently draws fouls and therefore puts the opponent’s starters on the bench.
But hey, Deng and Kirk deserve the big money, not Gordon. Let Gordon go, and we're setting up Rose for a complete disaster.
By Fred Pfeiffer
Part 2: Fred’s Law of NBA Scorers
These are the only players in the NBA, 25 & under, with a higher scoring average than Ben Gordon's 18 PPG:
Brandon Roy: 18.1
Chris Paul: 18.2
Chris Bosh: 18.9
Kevin Durant: 20.3
Amare Stoudamire: 21.0
Carmelo Anthony: 24.4
LeBron James: 27.3
Scorers in the NBA get paid extremely well because there just aren't many of them who can do it well; especially young scorers who don’t get injured. And guys under 30 who lead a team in scoring for 2 straight years (Gordon’s done it for 3), and go to the playoffs in 1 of those years, ALWAYS become the 1st or 2nd highest paid player on the team with whom they sign their next contract. I may be wrong, but I’ve been unable to find a case in the past 20 years where this hasn’t been the case, even with all the horrible contracts out there. To me, it’s a law, as valid and true and
From what I’ve seen, if Gordon signs what’s on the table, he’d be the 4th highest paid player on the Bulls. (Hughes, Deng, and Hinrich would all make more this year). From Gordon’s perspective, that’s an insult, and a deal you shouldn’t sign. He should sign the 1-year tender, and make $11 million or more next year for an organization that values you more than the Bulls do.
The only possible negative for Gordon in signing the 1-year tender would be an injury this year. However, Gordon’s played in 80+ games in 3 out of 4 of the last years. Unlike Deng, he’s been remarkably durable. I feel he’ll take the gamble.
But to those who think he won’t get over 11 million next year if he performs close to his career number of 18 PPG, then you aren’t paying attention to NBA history, the contracts of similar players like Monte Ellis (I feel that Gordon is better and I have the numbers and argument to prove it for a future article), and the amount of dollars being thrown at guards in a guard’s league.
Here are the ONLY current NBA players under 25 with a career PTS/G > 18, (Gordon's current career number):
Brandon Roy: 18.1
Chris Paul: 18.2
Chris Bosh: 18.9
Kevin Durant: 20.3
Amare Stoudamire: 21.0
Carmelo Anthony: 24.4
LeBron James: 27.3
Here are the ONLY current players under 30 who have a career scoring average higher than Gordon’s:
Steve Francis: 18.1
Brandon Roy: 18.1
Chris Paul: 18.2
Peja Stojakovic: 18.2
Shawn Marion: 18.3
Pau Gasol: 18.8
Jason Richardson: 18.8
Chris Bosh: 18.9
Yao Ming: 19.0
Stephon Marbury: 19.7
Elton Brand: 20.3
Kevin Durant: 20.3
Michael Redd: 20.5
Amare Stoudemire: 21.0
Tracy McGrady: 22.4
Dirk Nowitzki: 22.4
Gilbert Arenas: 22.8
Paul Pierce: 23.1
Dwyane Wade: 23.9
Carmelo Anthony: 24.4
Kobe Bryant: 25.0
LeBron James: 27.3
EVERY player on these lists has a higher career Minutes Per Game average. Gordon’s relatively low MPG average is due to the hard a$$Skiles and a team overloaded with guards. I think one of the most amazing things about Gordon occurred in his rookie season. He averaged 15.1 PPG in ONLY 24 minutes per game. BTW, Monte Ellis has a career scoring average of 15.7 in 31.9 minutes per game. To my podcast partner, read that previous sentence about 20 times before you put your tonka toys away.
I keep hearing that no one wants a sign and trade, and that may be true today. Today, there just aren’t that many teams with the cap space and flexibility to offer Gordan a fair contract. But the field of interested suitors will increase exponentially when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He’s a young, proven scorer with no serious injury history. He’s a good citizen off the court. If he stays healthy, he’ll put up 18-21 per game this year. Next year, you can sign him and lose nothing but the cap space. I can guarantee you, he’ll draw serious interest.
So to review, Fred's law of NBA Scorers:
Guys under 30, who lead a team in scoring for 2 straight years (Gordon’s done it for 3), and go to the playoffs in 1 of those years, ALWAYS become the 1st or 2nd highest paid player on that team with whom they sign their next contract.
by Fred Pfeiffer
The Final Random Thoughts
In the 06-07 season, our best since the Jordan era, Ben Gordon started for the majority of the season and in every playoff game (He averaged 20 PPG in the playoffs). He continued to start every game for Skiles, until Jim Ball-Boy Boylan became coach and decided to bring him off the bench.
Gordon had his best season (21.4 PPG) AS A STARTER. His stats are better AS A STARTER. Jim Ball-Boylan is arguably the worst coach in Bulls history. I refuse to believe that because he sent Gordon to the bench, that BG is better as a 6th man. If anything, the fact that Boylan thinks he is a bench player is an argument for Gordon starting. Gordon’s numbers as a starter are better then his numbers as a bench player. What is so difficult to understand here?
Scorers don’t come along often. In the 40+ year history of the Chicago Bulls, only 5 players have averaged 20 or more points for a winning Bulls team.
1. Chet Walker
2. Bob Love
3. Michael Jordan
4. Scottie Pippen
5. Ben Gordon
In the last 20 years, the Bulls have had only 5 players average 20+ points per game on any team, winning or losing:
1. Jordan
2. Pippen
3. J. Rose
4. Elton Brand
5. Gordon
The second-best scorer that we’ve had in the past 20 years, Scottie Pippen (16+), has a lower career scoring average than Ben Gordon (18 PPG).
I’m happy we signed Deng. But is he really more important to the success of this team than Gordon?
Luol Deng has a career average of 33.3 Minutes per game and a career scoring average of 15.6 PPG. Ben Gordon has averaged 30 minutes per game and 18 PPG. Luol Deng has a career average of 3.74 Free Throw Attempts per game. Ben Gordon has a career average of 4.02 Free Throw Attempts per game, despite fewer minutes per game.
If M. Ellis set the Market with his 11 million contract, and BG is better than Ellis, why can’t BG expect to get more? I understand that Golden State was in a difficult situation after losing B. Davis. However, if Gordon becomes a free agent next year, do you really believe that no NBA will have a need at guard? Especially for a young, proven scorer with no injury history.
The fact that a sign and trade hasn’t occurred DOES NOT mean that teams will not aggressively go after Gordon next year. Sign and trades are difficult and relatively rare since the last collective bargaining agreement was signed. Unrestricted free agents signing lucrative contracts are not a rare occurrence. Listen to the latest podcast for the “High School Girlfriend” analogy.
Ben has a proven ability to draw double teams. We don’t have another player, including Deng, who requires two defenders to consistently guard him. During a late season battle at home against Cleveland in 07, The Cavs were actually sending Anderson Varejao out past the three point line as soon as Gordon touched the ball.
"The real concern is that the other guys aren't standing around spectating when [Gordon is] being trapped. We can't wait and expect Ben to split every trap and get by every big guy. If you're fortunate enough to have a guard double-teamed 40 feet from the basket that late in an NBA game, we have to move that ball and find an open man and make a shot.” – Scott Skiles
Those who like to criticize Gordon need to read this quote from Skiles about 400 times. You can count on one hand the number of guards in the league who will draw a double team 40 feet from the basket. We’re certainly fortunate to have one of them. It’s disappointing that the other starters don’t consistently take advantage of this fact. The Kirk-Lovers like to point out that Hinrich is forced to guard the opponent’s toughest guard. What they fail to mention is that is the best defensive guard is usually guarding Gordon.
Former Bobcats Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff, current Bulls assistant:
"He is great. He is one of the few guys who can face you straight up. He doesn't have to turn his back on you. You saw then how he can shoot.”
Bobcats Forward Gerald Wallace: "We were joking after the game, ‘Was MJ out there tonight?’ It sure seemed like it. He's a great shooter. Plus he’s great at penetrating and getting to the basket. So it's kind of hard to defend him. The best thing is to stay between him and the basket and keep your hand up in his face. But as well as he comes off screen and rolls, you have to have somebody to be there to get back to defend him."
And even in last year’s “down” year for Gordon, an unnamed NBA coach provided this gem to Sam Smith for a late November column: “We trap [Ben] Gordon on the pick-and-roll. There doesn’t seem anyone else who can beat you now. I don’t really have an explanation.”
So, even last year, other teams weren’t concerned about an erratic Deng, an awful Hinrich, an average Noce. But they were worried about Gordon beating them.
Wake up Chicago. You don’t realize what you have until he’s gone. I expound on this issue more in Episode #30 at ChicagoBullseye.com.
Fred Pfeiffer
fred@chicagobullseye.com
Listen to the latest podcast!
THOUGHTS WHEN WE THOUGHT DOUG COLLINS WAS OUR NEW HEAD COACH:
He also did a fantastic job with the Pistons in the mid 90s, on a team that I thought was very limited talentwise. (Grant Hill was their best player at the time).
As for the short stint in Washington....that team had nothing but an old Jordan. And let's fact it...Jordan was the head coach of that team.
Email us your opinion. Are you down with this decision?
Frederick Pfeiffer
Fred@chicagobullseye.com
Mark Lewinthal Take on the Decision:
Ok, now that the shock has worn off, great move by Paxson! The Chicago Bulls have too much young talent for a young coach with no experience. People are bitching and moaning about us not getting Avery Johnson.....to those idiots I have to say this. Avery Johnson took over a hell of a team in Dallas. One which was already close to being a finals contender. He than proceeded to:
2005: Go 60-22, made the finals, won 2 against Miami THAN FELL APART TO LOOSE 4 GAMES IN A ROW! That was PATHETIC! Miami was not 1/2 the team Dallas was.
Averys career than proceeded to take on sheer dominance:
2006 - Go 67-15 THAN LOOSE TO THE WARRIORS IN THE FIRST ROUND!
2007 - Go 51-31 - and lost to the Hornets in the first round!
Hey, idiots, Avery Johnson is moron. He took a great team and made them shittier! Thats not positive! Ok, now that the fumes have settled, lets talk about Doug.
One can look at the fact that the Bulls fired Collins once before, but in all seriousness he brought the team to the playoffs 3 straight years, and couldnt get past the Pistons 3 times, any coach would get fired in that situation. Collins was also only 37 at the time he was a loose cannon, he has calmed down since. Collins track record is actually pretty impressive. He coached the Bulls to their best season in 15 years (at that point) to a 50-32 recrod. He took the Pistons and in his first year had a 18 game turnaround to 46 wins, in his second year there he had 54 wins. Their best player was Grant Hill, but beyond that they had crap. I dont want to look at Collins track record in Washington since I think he was really just MJ's bitch (and that team had no talent).
Wins aside, Collins has a strong track record of shaping young talent, something your Chicago Bulls have alot of. Collins worked with Jordan in his 3rd yr, drafted Pippen, and Grant and began their grooming, he worked with Grant Hill in what was undoubtebly his best years, he also got some productivity out of some really low draft pics, (Aaron McKie #17, Theo Ratliff #18, Jerome Williams #26).
Hopefully Pax was interviewing these assistants so that he can equip Collins with some top notch talent. Time to can Ron Adams and Pete Meyers, and bring in a fantastic defensive and offensive mind.
Overall, I am not THRILLED (like I would of been w/ D'Antoni), but it certiantly aint as bad as a Tom Tibadeau.
Mark Lewinthal
Mark@chicagobullseye.com
OPEN LETTER TO SAM SMITH'S MAILBAG
Sam,
You’re a one of the best basketball writers in the country, except when it comes to providing an objective assessment of Kirk Hinrich and Woody Allen. Your mailbag defense of Hinrich riled me a bit last week. Did you have Kirk’s dad ghostwrite it for you? Here are my comments on each one of your primary points.
"A point guard gives you a chance to compete. If you don't have a point guard, it's difficult to compete on a consistent basis." - Jerry Sloan from the Sam Smith Column, 3.10.08
Did you interview Jerry before or after last week’s mailbag? I’m inclined to agree with Coach Sloan. Therefore, Kirk Hinrich’s atrocious season is one of the primary reasons why this year has been such a train wreck. He had a very solid 06-07 REGULAR season, posting career highs in shooting percentages. It’s no coincidence that we won 49 games last year, when he was able to shoot 45% from the field, and 41% form three point range. He followed that up with some terrible performances in the 07 playoffs, and for the first three months of this year, he was shooting about 38% and 25%. He didn’t score over 20 points until December 22nd. His horrendous start left a fired coach and shattered team in his wake. You might argue that he’s turned things around. He followed up your defense of his game with a 2 for 12 shooting performance against the Cavs, 2 points against the Celtics, and 6 against the Pistons.
"What I don't quite understand is what is expected of him."
I expect him to:
- Shoot better and score more than he has all year. For most of the first 3 months of this year, he was shooting well below his mediocre career averages.. In the 57 games he’s played this year, he’s scored over 20 points only 6 times. He’s scored over 30 twice. Of those six games that he’s scored 20 or more, 4 were against Miami, Minnesota, Indiana (minus O’Neal), and New York. Simply put, you would expect more scoring against better competition from from Mr. Olympia.
- I expect him to live up to his reputation as a good defender. In the first week of the season, Hinrich allowed Andre “the Geriac” Miller to torch him for 25 points. In the next game, Cuttino Mobley torched him for 33. It’s been a common theme all year. I can understand Mr. Langoria making him look like a joke on Dec. 26th, but Travis Diener?
- Stop committing stupid fouls. This is Kirk’s 5th year in the league. There’s no excuse for some of the dumb fouls he makes on a consistent basis.
d. I expect him to perform better when it matters most. Kirk followed up that solid regular season last year with these stellar playoff performances:
- 4.21.07, Game 1 vs. the Heat: 1-7 shooting with 4 turnovers in 19 minutes (Bulls win).
- 4.29.07, Game 4 vs. the Heat: 2-12 shooting in 31 minutes (Bulls win).
- 5.07.07. Game 2 at
Detroit: 0-7 shooting in 34 minutes. (Bulls lose) - 5.10.07, Game 3 vs.
Detroit. 6-15 in 47 minutes. In this game, Mr. Defense was torched by Chauncey Billups in the third quarter. (Bulls lose) - 5.17.07, Game 6 vs.
Detroit. 3-13 shooting and 5 fouls. (Bulls Lose)
- Show some leadership. No one forced him to apply for the position of team captain. He was one of four players to apply for it. He was chosen to be a team captain by his teammates. After being benched in the
Indiana game, “Hinrich made himself scarce for the second straight day” - KC Johnson 2/28. How exactly is that being a leader? By letting your teammates answer questions about why you were outplayed by Travis “the Weiner” Deiner? His teammates obviously looked to him for leadership this year, and he’s failed miserably.
“First of all, he's not the face of the franchise, never once said he was and never asked to be.” That sounds a little like the Charles Barkley argument about being a role model. The fact is, he is the face of the franchise. If he didn’t want to be, he could have turned down the Chicagland GMC and Converse deals. At the Cavs game I attended last week, there were tons of people wearing his jersey and cheering him, blindly ignoring his 2-12 performance.
“He signed for less than Ben Gordon and Luol Deng turned down, which makes him a third or fourth option player.”
Before Hughes arrived, he was the third option. I know that Gordan, and especially Deng, might have been a little more selfish this year. Is that entirely because of their contracts? Or was it because they felt the need to put the entire team on their collective backs because the third option, Captain Kirk, couldn’t hit a jumper until December 22nd, when he finally scored over 20 in a game.
Kirk’s not in on the same planet offensively as Gordon or Deng. The Bulls basically offered Gordon the Hinirch contract adjusted for inflation. If the media and Bulls fans were appalled at Gordon turning down the deal, then they should be appalled at the deal Hinrich was offered If you ask the 30 GMs in the league, “Who do you worry about beating you, Kirk or Ben?”, all 30 would say Ben unless he graduated from Kansas or had familial ties to Hinrich. Ben should be paid more Hinrich, and not just by the average $400,000 per year.
“Kirk works hard all the time.”
When did hard work buy unconditional love from Chicago Bull fans? I would guess Ben Wallace works pretty hard by looking at him. You don’t get a physique like that by eating potato chips and watching Hardball. How much love did that garner him? A friend who works at the Berto center recently told me that he’s never seen anyone work harder than Ben Gordon in this past year. All that hard work paid off when the
Our office recently fired 75% of our sales staff. Several of the departed were some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. So excuse me if I don’t stand and cheer for Hinrich’s effort. If Kirk simply wanted to be rewarded for effort, regardless of how poorly he performed in his job, then he should have become a public school teacher. He’s an NBA player, and as far as this season goes, he’s completely sucked.
“He doesn't take off for injuries.”
Yes, Kirk’s had a remarkably healthy career. That will happen when you settle for jump shots instead of taking the ball hard to the hoop. He’s missed a few games almost every year of his career, recently with bruised ribs. Isn’t it kind of hard to make this assumption?
“He plays defense and out of position without complaint. "
I’d give you that point in the 06-07 season. But hasn’t Gordon been out of the starting lineup since Dec 27th? What’s his excuse for being torched by Travis Diner? Since Gordon’s been on the bench, Sefolosha has been given the tough assignments. Sefolosha was guarding Chris Paul for the first 3 quarters in the last Hornets game. After watching Hinrich try to guard him in the 4th, I quickly realized why Sefolosha was the smart choice. Shouldn’t a guy with Hinrich’s defensive credentials be able to guard some bigger guys once in a while?
"But the Olympic coaches picked him to tryout and play for the team. They didn't ask anyone else who plays for the Bulls." They also asked Brad Miller and Shane Battier. Am I to believe that Kirk was better than Iverson in 2006? That squad added role players because of the disappointments of previous versions. In 2007, he left before Team
"He isn't having his best season, but his numbers are generally on par with his career averages, just down from last season.” I’d find solace in that fact if Kirk had a higher career shooting percentage than 41%. Yeah, I know that Iverson and Arenas shoot at only a slightly higher percentage. However, those guys get a huge percentage of their points at the free throw line. Hirnich spends less time at the free throw line than your average Luvabull.
Let’s use some simple logic:
Larry Hughes is a poor shooter.
Larry Hughes has almost the same career percentage (.410) as Kirk Hinrich (.414).
Therefore, Kirk Hinrich is a poor shooter. Bulls fans were so hungry for mediocrity in his first 2 years, that they ignored the fact he shot under 40% in both of those years.
"He gets himself in some bad situations with fouls and doesn't always make the perfect pass. So if the Bulls have a better point guard they should play him."
I agree, we don’t have anyone better. That’s the primary reason why we suck this year. Hopefully, it will be rectified in the off-season.
"Hinrich hasn't always liked the positions he's been put in, but he doesn't complain about it."
This shouldn’t exempt him from criticism.
"It hardly seems the best way to treat a player who has been the most loyal and hard working in the spirit of what this organization has tried to do for the last few years."
I know you won’t agree with this, but if Ben Gordon, our leading scorer last year as a starter, can get benched, so can Captain K.
“But he's a competitor and skilled and a guy I'd want on my team. If the Bulls are rejecting players like that, then I think they have real problems.”
Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I like guys like Gordon, who has a track record of performing when the game is on the line and in the stretch run. (Compare Gordon’s last 4 games with Kirk’s, while we’ve been battling for that last playoff spot against quality competition. Kirk did play well against
Fred Pfeiffer
Fred@chicagobullseye.com
BULLS TRADE WALLACE
CLEVELAND NOW HAS "HAS-BEEN" BEN
by the Riv Man
I'm still trying to digest this trade. The nice thing is they were able to get a good tradeable asset for the future in Drew Gooden for the 3 players who had little trade value...Wallace, Smith, and Griffin. Gooden is 26, has only one year left on a reasonable contract ($7 mil), and is seen by some as an active big man who can shoot. In fact, the Bulls are pretty much 2-deep now at most every position with young players. Hughes has a lot of mileage and is oft-injured but at least provides some depth if the Bulls decide to trade several assets for a star. Some names this summer that could possibly be available? Maybe Brand, Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Redd? They are all on teams that might be looking for some young depth at the right price.
Fred continues tries to help the less fortunate in this season of giving by providing his insight and knowledge. He also wants to know when we can put Gordon back in the starting lineup to avoid the pathetic 1st and 3rd quarter starts that we saw against the Bucks.
RTOB #1:
So let me get this straight. We’re one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA, and Jim Boyband’s first big maneuver is to send the Ben Gordon to the bench. Well, Jim, let me say your first big move sucks.
I can understand Ben Gordon coming off the bench for a championship team. For this “offensively challenged” version of the Bulls, it’s beyond stupid to send your best offensive player to the bench. Here come the inevitable poor starts.
And that’s exactly what happened in Game 1 of the Jim Ball-Boylan era. We managed to score all of 2 points in first 4 minutes of the first quarter against the
Hinirch's season can be summed up in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter. A long rebound came out to him. He dribbled up the court with Deng on one side and Gordon on the other…a 3 on 3 with our 2 best offensive players and our hero from
Of course, Tom Dore ran to Hinrich’s defense with the assertion that he was going for a 2 for 1. The utterly dumb statements in defense aren’t surprising when you consider that Dore favorably compared Hirnich to Steve Nash last year. Either Tom is the biggest Hirnich apologist ever, or he isn’t aware that the fact that the clock doesn’t stop when it leaves the shooter’s hands. I’ll go with the former. Words can’t describe what a disgrace KH has been this year. And he’s making 11 million. Hey, Jim Ball-Boylan…what not send Kirk to the bench and see if he can provide us a spark by staying off the freaking floor.
RTOB#2:
I’ve noticed that the Bucks have actually stopped guarding Hinrich at the 3-point line. He’s finally hit a few tonight. Hopefully he can actually start drawing more attention than
How many times tonight does Gordon have to set up Noce for a wide open 3 before he actually hits one? Nocioni has been absolutely atrocious in the past 2 weeks.
RTOB#3:
Tonight against the Bucks, Gordon exhibited some of the best ball-handling I’ve seen since Curly Neal. But according to Ben Finfer of ESPN 1000, he “can’t dribble”. Oh really?
Hey Finfer, here are the facts:
Minutes Played in 07:
Deng – 3,071
Hinrich – 2,839
Gordon – 2,704
Here’s where they ranked in Free Throws Attempted:
1. Gordon 440
2. Deng - 359
3. Hinrich – 284
Here’s where they ranked in Free Throws Made:
1. Gordon 380
2. Deng – 279
3. Hinrich – 237
And Gordon’s leading the team in Free Throws again this year! So Finfer, do you want to tell me how a 6' 1" jump shooter who “can’t dribble” leads the team in Free Throws. It’s because he’s the only Bull who can consistently beat a defender and draw fouls. Just an FYI, you beat a defender through dribbling.
Please stop passing yourself as an expert on Bulls basketball. You’re embarrassing my alma mater worse than Ron Turner ever did.
