Ben Gordon: A very intriguing player

by TradeProposalDude on May 2, 2009 11:30 PM EDT

Ben Gordon is one of the most fascinating players in the NBA in my humble opinion. Since his rookie year he gained credibility quickly with his clutch performances. They say in Chicago that "Gordon rhymes with Jordan."

What intrigues me a lot about Gordon is how he can show you two different sides: As a lethal scorer and reliable option who can be counted upon as a weapon on consecutive possessions, or as a mere "role player" who is simply being paid the amount he is to be a 3 point specialist.

On one night he will remind you of Kobe, with the degree of difficulty in the shots he will make. On another, he's comparable to a guy like Eddie House (which is nothing to shrug about - especially on a night like tonight where Eddie had ice in his veins). But how do you pay a guy like that? What are your expectations of him in terms of production and reliability? Is he really a #1 option or is he just a role player?

I think this is an important question for Bulls fans who wonder if he is worth the max. Frankly, on a lot of nights I think he is. But if you pay a guy like that franchise dough, the amount you can distribute to other players is sort of limited. You also have to factor how he'll fit into the Bulls future plans, since they still have Deng to worry about (and his 5 remaining years of being on contract) and Salmons, who has 2 more years.

Paxson has a huge offseason ahead of him. He has a franchise PG, some decent bigs to help build a fort, and a few nice swingmen (not named BG) who are not old. But a careless decision could tie them down and impede their improvement efforts over the coming years.

Be respectful and keep it clean. Thanks.

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If the Bulls are smart, theyll let Gordon walk, unless he changes his mind about what he wants out of his next contract. He’s had dollar signs in his eyes for 2 summers now and all this series did was justify it on his end.

Gordon isnt your average streaky player, hes streaky from Great to Good, not from good to mediocre. Either way though, you cant build a team around a streaky undersized player, whos defense is very suspect. Rose will be better than Gordon, he needs to be the player the Bulls are prepared to break the bank on in the future.

The funny thing is Gordon turned down 11 million a year already from the Bulls, with the financial market the way it is, I wouldnt be shocked if he wasnt able to do better than that this summer.

by greg683x on May 3, 2009 12:01 AM EDT reply actions

dude can only dribble twice.

he’s a great scorer. but he is not a number one option on a successful team. he is a role player. and he could start, sure, but he is not the key to the ignition. he is just a strong cog in the wheel.

handle is suspect.
defense is suspect.

he is not franchise and not max dollars. that said, i’d give him close to (or slightly over) 8 mil a year. for 3-4 years.

by stingy d on May 3, 2009 4:05 AM EDT reply actions