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.