Doug Thonus, of Bullsbeat.com released the 58th episode of the Bulls Beat podcast today. This one is all about Ben Gordon and his comments that he has probably played his last games with the Bulls. It is an excellent podcast, and it really puts some well thought out perspective on the entire Gordon situation.
Doug first points out that Gordon hedged on the question. Gordon didn’t specifically come out and say that he played his last game as a Bulls. If you actually go look at the full interview with Ben, he said that it just looks that way, unless the negotiations change.
Doug thinks that it will absolutely stink if Ben Gordon doesn’t return because he is either our best or 2nd best player. He thinks that the argument that the Bulls shouldn’t pay Gordon $10 million a year is absurd, because at $10 million a year you aren’t asking a guy to be a superstar. Doug says he wouldn’t take a player who is making less than $10 million, that doesn’t fall into one of three categories: 1. Is still on his rookie contract and will make big money when he’s eligible for an extension. 2. A player who got significantly better after he signed his contract, such as Caron Butler. 3. A player who took a pay cut to stay with a contender, such as Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
He thinks that Gordon has sort of become a scapegoat for all of the team’s failures last year. Fans are venting their frustrations calling him short or inconsistent. He thinks it is absurd to think that someone like Jason Kapono could replace Gordon since he has a higher three point %. Doug contests that Gordon has to hit his threes off the dribble and while covered, while Kapono is completely wide open and set on all his threes. Kapono would have a low three point percentage if he had to make his the same way Gordon made his.
Doug thinks that Gordon is getting a raw deal. People are calling Ben a bench player, and using that as their point why Gordon shouldn’t be paid. In reality, Gordon isn’t a bench player, he has been 3rd or better in minutes every year he’s been with the Bulls. He’s a bench player since we elected to add scoring off the bench, not because he’s not good enough to start. Ben Gordon is on the floor in the important situations in games for the Bulls. Fans using this as an argument against Gordon are being intellectually dishonest.
He thinks that Gordon is bluffing. The Bulls won’t take crap back just to do Gordon a favor. They are going to want something really good for Gordon, not something like the 20th pick which they can just buy on draft night. Portland is the one team where Gordon is a good fit and they have the assets to make an attractive offer to the Bulls.
Options for Gordon if he’s not going to take the qualifying offer is to accept the Bulls offer or Europe. Europe screws him because he will still be a restricted free agent. Would be better for Gordon to bite the bullet and take the qualifying offer.
Doug also thinks that fans who think Ben Gordon isn’t worth the money because he can’t get an offer sheet are using a poor argument. The only team with any cap space is Memphis and they have a truckload of guards.
This situation can become nuclear for both the Bulls and Gordon. For Gordon, wanting more money is understandable, since he takes all the important shots and is the one aske to score on triple teams when they have to get points. Thinks if Gordon has another down year, he might only be looking at the MLE, or a little above it, if he can’t get back to that 2006-2007 level. I think personally, this is a little unfair, since Gordon’s efficiency once Skiles was fired was sky high, and he was at 20 PPG for the season before Boylan benched him after the Wallace trade. Also nuclear for the Bulls because if Gordon leaves, they will be flushing one of their best players for nothing.
Gordon is the perfect complement next to a great player, which Derrick Rose should be. Gordon can play great in a shooter, off the ball role while Derrick Rose dominates, but also can step up 20-25 games a year and win them by himself.
Doug thinks those saying we will survive losing our leading scorer, because it happened with Jamal and Eddy are fooling themselves. According to Doug, Jamal Crawford sucks at basketball and Eddy Curry had one good year with the Bulls, and became crap with the Knicks because he never worked on his weaknesses. Neither Eddy or Jamal made consistent positive impacts on games for the Bulls. Ben Gordon on the other hand has consistently positively impacted a game for the Bulls. We have won tons of games because of Ben’s scoring ability. Gordon’s +/- has been great except for last year with the Bulls, when everyone’s was bad. He thinks Ben Gordon, like Elton Brand, could be the one high draft pick we get rid of that comes back to bite us in the butt.
Also, Doug thinks the Bulls offense hasn’t been well suited for Gordon. He thinks we spent too much time doing a useless pick and roll with Ben Wallace in the corner, which exposed Gordon’s flaws. He thinks if Ben goes to another team, he could really improve just by being in a better offense. This has been a complaint of mine. The example I like to use is the 2006-2007 playoffs. In the series against the Heat, the Bulls had Gordon playing at the top of the key, and ran him in pick and rolls with Nocioni. Luol Deng always gets the credit for being the best player in this series, and he did good, but I think Gordon was the most dominant player in this series. Then in the Pistons series, we put Ben Gordon back in the corner, and the Pistons simply pinned him there, making him ineffective.
Doug absolutely does not want to send Gordon to Miami. Gordon, Wade, and Beasley would make too good of a team, and also Shawn Marion, the piece the Heat would have to give up, does nothing for us.
He thinks the Bull should go up around $66 million in their offer to Ben. Thinks the Bulls, when trading Andres Nocioni or Kirk Hinrich, should shed some money to find room to get under the luxury tax. Doug thinks Gordon’s stance is that he knows they are going to make moves after they sign him, and since they are willing to go right up to the luxury tax right now with Ben, he knows they won’t be taking more salary back in those trades, so the Bulls could get under the luxury tax before the tax is calculated, and Gordon can get a larger deal.
Doug thinks that Gordon is full of it, and that Ben Gordon will either take the qualifying offer and if not that, then probably the Bulls long term offer.
You can listen to this podcast at Bullsbeat.com.
