I’m continually surprised at the lack of respect that many Bulls fans give to Ben Gordon.   If we don’t trade him and he avoids serious injury,  Ben will become the second greatest scorer in Bulls history behind Sir Michael.    A Bulls staff member described his incredible work ethic and intense desire to improve.     If he continues to satisfy the formula for basketball success (Massive Talent + Athletic Ability + Work Ethic + Minimal Injuries =  A Basketball Superstar), we’ll have our first All-Star since the Jordan era.

There are three basic reasons why Ben Gordon is the best player on the Bulls:    

1. Free Throws
Ben Gordon is the only Bull who consistently gets points at the free throw line.  I keep pointing to our opening night, when Gordon scored 27.     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.    All of the great players in NBA history have scored a significant number of points from the stripe. 

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.   

To further illustrate my point, let’s look at the total minutes from our big 3 in the 2006-2007 season:

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 is continuing again this year.   It’s a testament to Gordon’s aggressive offensive game.  Gordon said recently,  "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, 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.

2.  The Killer Jumper
If the Bulls had a low post scorer, he would benefit from Gordon’s sharpshooting ability.   Gordon’s man would never leave to help defend or stop a low post scorer.   Sam Smith recently wrote in the Chicago Tribune, “There's no way the Bulls come back in as many games as they do without Gordon's shooting -- it remains one of the feared weapons in the NBA.” 

Gerald Wallace would agree with Sam’s assertion that his jumper is one of the most feared weapons in the NBA.    Here’s a quote from Bobcats Forward Gerald Wallace about Gordon:  "We were joking after the game, ‘Was MJ out there tonight?’ It sure seemed like it. He's tough to guard. He has the green light. Any guy who has the green light is really tough to guard. He just raises up and shoots whenever he wants to. And, he's a great shooter. Plus he's a great 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."     It’s the  jump shot that sets everything up.    An inconsistent shooter like Hinrich will never draw the kind of attention that BG does.

The mere fact that BG owns this weapon is a testament to his work ethic.   You don’t become a great shooter because you were born with the Darwin Silver Spoon of incredible athletic ability.   You become a great shooter because you shoot and shoot until your arms almost fall off.

3.  Ben Draws Double Teams  
We don’t have another player, including Deng, who requires two defenders to consistently guard him.   The Gordon rules occurred most noticeably 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," Skiles said. "We have to get better. We can't wait and expect [our guards] 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 after the Cleveland Game last year

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 said last year about Ben, "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.”

Wake up Chicago.   You don’t realize what you have until he’s gone.