When I think of Ben Gordon, I think of a line from old comedian Henny Youngman about women: Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.
So it seems with Gordon, who shoots the Bulls back into games, as he did in an opening-night loss to the Nets. Then he makes Chris Duhon relevant again with his inability to run the team and avoid turnovers.
Again Friday, in the home opener against the 76ers, it was Gordon hitting the bottom of the net with fast-draw jumpers and a remarkable shooting touch like perhaps no one else in the NBA. Gordon had nine points in the first quarter and 20 through three, as the Bulls trailed 71-61. They eventually got within two but couldn’t get over the hump and lost 96-85, Gordon finishing with 25.
It’s sort of a conundrum with little Ben.
Is he good enough to build with or around as the team’s leading scorer? Or does he lack a true position for a contending team and have too many weaknesses?
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Those questions are pivotal now, and probably the ones the Bulls most considered in recent contract negotiations, which led to Gordon getting an extension offer worth a reported $10 million per season.
I find it difficult to believe he and Luol Deng passed on their offers, Deng’s believed to be worth about $1 million per year more.
Of course, I’m not a good judge of such things, as I still clip coupons.
As an aside, perhaps the best part of Friday’s game was watching Deng and Andre Iguodala. The Bulls were torn in the 2004 draft between choosing the more athletic and defensive-minded Iguodala or the versatile Deng. Interestingly, Iguodala also rejected a contract extension estimated at $57.5 million for five years, about the same as Deng’s.
Iguodala dominated Deng through three quarters, showing off a flying dunk from far out on the left wing and harassing Deng into 1-for-6 shooting and three turnovers in the first half.
Eventually, given the Bulls’ stance in the Kobe Bryant discussions, I assume Deng will re-sign. You wonder, though, about Gordon.
He’s the team’s leading scorer and last shot option, though he hasn’t been very reliable lately with the shot clock running down.
The talks regarding Bryant, while much overstated, were instructive on one level.
It seemed clear the Lakers, and later the Sacramento Kings in ancillary discussions, weren’t that interested in Gordon.
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. But where does he truly fit? Coaches call him one of the most unique players they’ve encountered: an occasionally great scorer with numerous flaws in ballhanding and on defense.
Here are some NBA players who have signed recently for $10 million per season or less: Devin Harris, Tayshaun Prince, Jameer Nelson, Nene, Richard Hamilton, Manu Ginobili, Mehmet Okur, Mike Dunleavy, Caron Butler, Shane Battier, Eddy Curry, Boris Diaw, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Leandro Barbosa, Lamar Odom and Mike Miller.
Some who recently signed for less than Deng was allegedly offered: Chris Kaman, Kevin Martin and Josh Howard.
It’s difficult to fault either side, because it’s a league and a country of choice. If you think you’re worth more and can get more, why not? Who doesn’t?
Yet it’s vital for a team to maintain a payroll balance. The Cleveland Cavaliers were unable to do so in trying to accommodate too many players and this preseason were stuck with holdouts — Anderson Varejao is still out.
It remains a balancing act for teams in any league with a salary cap. The more some players get, the less there is to spend on other players.
The Bulls don’t have an All-Star other than Ben Wallace when he was with Detroit. They may not have one this season. How many eight-figure contracts can they give out?
And then there’s Tim Duncan, who signed a two-year extension with the Spurs for $40 million. He qualified for $51 million but agreed to take less to give the Spurs the flexibility to make other deals and keep the team strong.
Of the two Bens on the Bulls, Gordon is certainly the bigger one in impact. Just how big no one can quite figure.
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