Ben Gordon is moving to Detroit, and you just know he's going to explode for 40 points the next time the Bulls play the Pistons. And when he does, many angry Bulls fans will complain that he never should have been allowed to leave. How could John Paxson and Gar Forman let that happen? Natural born shooters are a rare commodity in today's NBA, and when you're lucky enough to have a guy who can shoot like Gordon, you must keep him.
Not so fast, folks. There is another side to this debate. In truth, Gordon was often a liability for the Bulls . He has never had any interest in playing defense, his ballhandling skills are non-existent and he's too small to be a bona fide NBA shooting guard. When he was hot, he could carry the Bulls . When he wasn't hot, he could be a burden. After five seasons, the Bulls knew what they were going to get from Gordon, good and bad. He'd give them about 18 points a game, and give up at least that many on the defensive end. There was plenty to like about him, but in the end he had only one dimension to his game. He was a specialist. Should a specialist make $11 million a season? And can a specialist who wants the ball every trip down the court play side-by-side with Derrick Rose, who needs to have the ball in his hands? Those were the questions the Bulls were facing. Luxury tax implications aside, that's what this decision came down to.
The Pistons apparently believe Gordon is worth it. He has agreed to a five-year, $55 million deal with them. The Bulls , who once offered Gordon $50 million over five years, no longer value his contributions so highly. You can be sure that Rose's incredible rookie season made their decision easier. In some ways, Rose's emergence made this decision necessary.
Gordon never was an easy fit with Rose. With Gordon firing up shots at every opportunity, Rose often was left standing flat-footed, watching him. At times Rose seemed to become a spectator.
Although he was best suited coming off the bench, to score in bunches, Gordon viewed himself as a starter. He also viewed himself as a team leader. Gordon has never lacked confidence, and there's nothing wrong with that. But in reality, the Bulls are now Rose's team. They will miss Gordon's scoring in the short-term, but it was time for him to move on.
