Much was made at the start of this season, as the Chicago Bulls got off to a less than favourable start, about the different look of the team this season. Many pointed to the fact that Ben Gordon was no longer in town, providing an outside scoring punch, as the reason that the team was doing so poorly. In particular, Derrick Rose’s normally dynamic game had apparently been stifled by the lack of diversity in the team’s offence.
The Bulls have straightened things out a little of late, taking coach Vinny Del Negro’s head off the chopping block, but the fact remains that the team is a disappointment to fans in Chicago.
Meanwhile, over in Detroit, the Pistons have had a terrible season to date. They sit at 19-35, which puts them a whisker out of the basement of the Central Division. Suddenly, last season’s Allen Iverson-laden season isn’t looking so bad. And the off-season high-profile signings of Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are not looking so good.
The per-minute statistics across the board for both marquee players are looking decidedly down on last season and it begs the question as to whether they are a fit for this team.Gordon’s situation in particular is worth looking at, given the disparity between the way his squads have performed between this season and last.
In fact, Gordon’s per-minute statistics are the lowest of his career in terms of points, rebounds, threes (made and attempted) and field goals (made and attempted). His shooting percentages are all at either career lows or close to. Virtually every statistic is around a career low, indicating that his usage rate is down, as is his performance. Something does not smell right in Detroit where this British national is concerned.
Is it the system? Is it the fact that Rip Hamilton takes away too much from his game? Did Chicago simply suit him better? I would be very interested to read the opinions of Detroit fans on this one. One thing is for sure, things were looking a lot better for everyone with Ben Gordon in Chicago.
