Do you trust Ben Gordon with the last shot to win the game?

[shugknight]

Ok as I was dreadfully watching tonight's game, I started to worry as the game was about to end, that Ben Gordon may have another shot to win the game (at the time it was tied with about a min to go).

Anyways to make it simple, do you trust Ben Gordon to win the game for us? Does he have the killer instinct that Jordan had to do whatever it takes to win the game? I'm hoping it's just me. I was never a big fan of BG and actually hoped we traded him a while ago while his value was extremely high, so I'm hoping that it's just not my pessimism thats making me think this way.

[bullzman23]

Of course he doesn't have the killer instinct that MJ has. No one does.

That being said, I trust Gordon and Smith infinitely more than I trust anyone else on this roster.

[bre9]

Gordon has been awful at late game situations especially this year. He's a great scorer but he cracks to often under pressure so I don't trust him with the ball anymore.

[kulaz3000]

On this team, there is noone else more capable of making the game winning shot more than Gordon. Put all the best clutch players in the league together, and Gordon would fall quite abit, but concerning just the Bulls roster, there is no doubt that you have to try get Gordon the ball.

[Rerisen]

Gordon is superior to any other single option the Bulls have at the end of the game, including hackneyed plays involving Ben Wallace.

However, though I prefer him shooting the last shot, I don't like him taking the whole final possession(s) dribbling the ball. Let Duhon or Kirk handle it up until 10 seconds or so. Or run BG through some weaves, curls or what have you to free him up and then get him the ball to make one quick move and put it up. Shooting is his strength much more so than creating.

[BuLLs>LiFe]

Gordon has been awful at late game situations especially this year. He's a great scorer but he cracks to often under pressure so I don't trust him with the ball anymore.

This is so wrong. If we are talking just this year, he's been almost as good as his rookie year which was just phenomenal. The stats back it up, and the play on the court does too.

Sure, Gordon doesn't have the best handles or isn't a superstar, but I still do trust him more than anyone on this team. However, he should not be a number one option on any contending team. Obviously this team is not that, so we have no choice but to go to Gordon.

[Jo Jo English]

Do I trust Ben Gordon to win the game for me with a last second shot? Hmm. Let me check my calendar. Well, it says 2008, not 2005, so the answer would be no.

That is probably too harsh as I don't believe we have anyone who is really capable of doing any better, but it is what it is. Besides the clutch three Gordon hit recently against Orlando I can't remember him getting it done in the last few seconds (or minute) of a tight game. He has also had some pretty key turnovers recently very late in the game as well.

Again, none of this is a shot at BG. He is probably our best bet for a game winner. I just don't have all that much faith in the Bulls as a team to hit a game winning jumper.

We just don't have one of "those guys".

[girlygirl]

He's the Bulls' best option in these situations. But that says more about the other Bulls than it does about BG's ability to hit game-winning shots. I know BG's FG% in the "clutch" this year is pretty good, if you go by 82games.com. But "clutch" is defined in the final 5 minutes of a game with the score within a certain amount of points (I think 3 points, not sure). If you looked u his FG% on actual game winning shots in the last minute of a game, I have a feeling it drops significantly.

But, as I say...he's still the team's best option in this spot.

[pduh01]

Ask yourself this question:

Did you trust Luol Deng with the last shot to win games? How about Kirk Hinrich? Noc? Ben Wallace? (:lol:) Anyone beside Ben Gordon on the current roster?

Ben Gordon maybe not hit game winning shot much since his rookie season but he is our best and only option so far for game winning shot for these type of situation as posters mention before.

Did you really trust Luol Deng for these type of situation to handle the ball while his ball handling is the greatest? I know Ben Gordon ball handling isn't great either but it's better then Deng. How about Kirk Hinrich? Did you really trust Kirk Hinrich? Even though it isn't really his job to hit game winning shots even though it be kinda nice he can do it but not his job to do it. Same with Noc the better situation and only option we have to trust on is Ben Gordon.

[Rerisen]

I don't think it would be accurate to trust in any player (maybe even MJ) to win the game every time. But it is certainly plausible to expect to have a guy to trust to at least give you a good shot to win the game. Meaning, get up a quality shot or create one for someone else.

His rookie season, Gordon could accomplish this. Whether because of that success being highlighted to defenses, lack of other viable threats on the Bulls, or what, he can no longer seem to come through in this latter capacity.

So do I trust him more than any other Bull? Yes. But do I trust him as in to succeed more than not? No.

[bre9]

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This is so wrong. If we are talking just this year, he's been almost as good as his rookie year which was just phenomenal. The stats back it up, and the play on the court does too.

Sure, Gordon doesn't have the best handles or isn't a superstar, but I still do trust him more than anyone on this team. However, he should not be a number one option on any contending team. Obviously this team is not that, so we have no choice but to go to Gordon.

The last time Gordon hit a game winner was last year against the Pacers. But the last three years Gordon hasn't done nothing with last game shots. he can't handle the pressure.

[Tommy Udo 6]

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The last time Gordon hit a game winner was last year against the Pacers. But the last three years Gordon hasn't done nothing with last game shots. he can't handle the pressure.

No, that's not the reason. Other teams know Hinrich & Nocioni & Duhon are chuckers & that our front line cant score.

So they easily triple-team Gordon.

Deng isnt good enough to rate more than 1-on-1 coverage.

Gordon himself is not the problem. The problem is that he's the ONLY weapon the Bulls have so he is easy to shut down

[NLK]

He's the best Bulls option, albeit very limited.

[emperorjones]

I trust Ben Gordon to take the last second shot to win a game. Problem is, I don't trust that Ben Gordon can GET a last second shot without:

1) Turning the ball over after dribbling the clock down to low; or
2) Falling down

[DuckIII]

The problem with the question is its limited to the 0.4 seconds of who shoots the ball on a critical possession.

Limiting it to that 0.4 seconds then, on this team, Gordon is still my first choice. "Trust" however, is too strong of a word.

I think the more important question is who do we want to run the offense through leading up to the final shot. And my answer to that is most certainly not Ben Gordon.

[blinkofaneye]

Gordon himself is not the problem. The problem is that he's the ONLY weapon the Bulls have so he is easy to shut down

I agree with this completely. Expecting Gordon to hit a winning shot being double or triple teamed is crazy. Why we see him turnover the ball in key moments? Teams know he is our only go to and they do anything they can to keep him from scoring, even if it means leaving other guys open.

We have no one else on this team that wants to step up at the end of games, even if they are open. Hinrich has never stepped up at the end of games. Deng seems to disappear when we need him most. Nocioni is always glad to take a shot, but has not done well in closing moments of games. Joe Smith has emerged as a go to as of late, and if he is on the court and playing well could contribute. We can't expect Gordon to bail us out all the time. He is the best we have, but he is no Michael Jordan. We need others to step up and take the pressure off of Gordon, but I don't see anyone on this team ready and willing to do it.

It shows how flawed Paxon's roster is. A team of long defensive oriented players, and very little offense, and no inside scoring threat. I found myself hoping he would put Aaron Gray in at the end of the game. Isn't it sad when we hope for a 2nd round rookie to help us score in the closing moments of a game? I think it might have been worth a shot.

[BuLLzDoMaIn]

who else do we have??

i mean besides noc who gets blocked all the time

[Grand Champ]

He can't create at all, he's too short and can't dribble well enough. I don't mind him taking the shot, but have deng post up or something to draw a double team, and kick it out to BG for the shot. Or something besides him dribbling, and isoing someone... he sucks horribly at that.

[Cliff Levingston]

He can't create at all, he's too short and can't dribble well enough. I don't mind him taking the shot, but have deng post up or something to draw a double team, and kick it out to BG for the shot. Or something besides him dribbling, and isoing someone... he sucks horribly at that.

For the love of god, can we stop with this idea that Ben is at his best when he's running off screens? Its simply not true. He can hit a wide open shot off a screen because, *gasp*, he's a good shooter. But when the defense knows that you're trying to get it to that guy, the screens only make it easier to double team him and deny the ball because you're bringing an extra defender into Ben's space.

He sucks when he's crowded, and that's all we do with him. We endlessly run him off of screens to try to get open, or we endlessly bring pick and rolls to the top of the key for him. All it does is completely ruin our spacing and help the defense double team him.

All the game tapes from when Gordon was a rookie must have burned up in a fire or something. What we did with him then was give him the ball at the top of the key, spread the floor (PG/SF on the wings, big men on the baseline) and let him go get a shot. It makes sense on so many levels:

- For one, no one can shut Ben down one on one in space. Ben can either get by him and hit a short jumper/floater, or if the defender is sagging off, Ben can rise up and hit a shot in his face.
- You give Ben plenty of room to operate so he doesn't have to worry about protecting the ball from guys coming from the weak side of the floor to steal the ball or force a pass.
- If the double team is coming, the defender has to come from far away (at least 3 steps), which gives Ben plenty of time to see it, adjust and make the play (either shoot or pass).

The above is just another example of how our schemes often play to our players' weaknesses.

[AirP.]

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For the love of god, can we stop with this idea that Ben is at his best when he's running off screens? Its simply not true. He can hit a wide open shot off a screen because, *gasp*, he's a good shooter. But when the defense knows that you're trying to get it to that guy, the screens only make it easier to double team him and deny the ball because you're bringing an extra defender into Ben's space.

He sucks when he's crowded, and that's all we do with him. We endlessly run him off of screens to try to get open, or we endlessly bring pick and rolls to the top of the key for him. All it does is completely ruin our spacing and help the defense double team him.

All the game tapes from when Gordon was a rookie must have burned up in a fire or something. What we did with him then was give him the ball at the top of the key, spread the floor (PG/SF on the wings, big men on the baseline) and let him go get a shot. It makes sense on so many levels:

- For one, no one can shut Ben down one on one in space. Ben can either get by him and hit a short jumper/floater, or if the defender is sagging off, Ben can rise up and hit a shot in his face.
- You give Ben plenty of room to operate so he doesn't have to worry about protecting the ball from guys coming from the weak side of the floor to steal the ball or force a pass.
- If the double team is coming, the defender has to come from far away (at least 3 steps), which gives Ben plenty of time to see it, adjust and make the play (either shoot or pass).

The above is just another example of how our schemes often play to our players' weaknesses.

Cliffy, even though he was taller, Reggie Miller made a living coming off screens and hitting even at clutch time when you knew it was coming.

Can they anticipate him coming off the screen, sure, that's why you also give yourself in that situation another option, as in nobody on the opposite side of the ball of the screen to throw it long to him if the defender went over the screen.

Gordon is one of the best outside shooters in the league. I cringe when he's going one on one at the end of quarters because he has routinely lost the ball, had it poked away(by a center in aldridge), outright stolen or just turned it over by a carry, charge or something else like bouncing it off his leg.

When Gordon is on a roll at the end of a game I really can't think of anyone else I want shooting the ball, I'd expect him to make a shot being pushed out of bounds. But if hadn't taken many shots in the last few minutes or comes off the bench to take the last shot, I have nearly zero faith in him making a shot. He's a guy who has to have his rhythem more then anyone else on this team to be effective. This is another reason I love him as a 6th man up till the last few games, he comes in and is firing, not getting anyone else involved, the offense is about him the whole time, when he quits jacking up shots at a good pace is when he loses focus and he starts to miss at a great rate.

To me, you can't build a team around Ben Gordon and expect him to carry a team 35-40 minutes a game nearly EVERY game. He is a guy who I think can carry a team 20-25 minutes a game nearly every game and why do I think that? Because I see Gordon getting tired or just not wanting to work to get open the entire time. He'd have to be one of the hardest working offensive players in the game if he wanted to be a 30 ppg guy in a regular offense... I think he'd see 30ppg in a run and gun offense though.