Today's question to the class is "What are the key differences between the games of current Bull, Nate Robinson and former Bull, Ben Gordon?" In their respective careers, both have been known for providing off the bench scoring punch. Both have been characterized as being undersized, though Robinson is more spectacularly so, and both have been called defensive liabilities. Their respective career stats are fairly similar. Of course, Gordon makes over $12mil while Robinson is toiling for the league minimum. Can this $$$ disparity be justified? What would Gordon get in free agency right now? I understand that being 5-9 is a liability in the NBA, but I also know that the ability to score is probably the most highly-valued of attributes and Nate Robinson can put up points. This season's Nate Robinson is not much different than last season's Nate Robinson, yet Robinson signed here for a minimum contract...non-guaranteed no less. I don't get it.
Been thinking about this throughout the season. Not much difference. Certainly this year you would want Nate over Gordon. Nate's a better ball handler but a poorer decision maker. Bulls should retain Nate. He's another guy that can create his own shot and generate offense. Yes, he's undersized, that's why he's not worth big bucks. But I still remember Rose and the Bulls getting ousted by the Heat and we could do worse than having Nate as another guy to generate offense with 5 seconds left on the clock when needed.
Gordon is 4.3 PPG more for his career, a .405 to .363 3pt shooter, and has scored about 4600 more points in one more season. To put that last number in perspective, Nate would have to average 56 PPG for a whole season that Gordon sits out to catch up. Gordon's role decreased when he was traded to Detroit and stuck behind our very own Rip Hamilton. Even though he actually outplayed him. Politics suck. How about this comparison? http://www.basketball-reference.com...m=1&p1=gordobe01&y1=2009&p2=robinna01&y2=2009 Probably the biggest difference I see between Gordon and Nate is that Thibs put Deng on Gordon while I don't ever see defenses putting their best defender on Nate. FWIW, I've been saying Nate is our best guard since the start of the season.
I think Nate's played himself into a bigger contract, FWIW. I don't think he's going to be a Bull next season. However, this guy looks like his replacement. A perfect complement for Kirk. http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...ee-agent_nolan_smith_little_used_in_port.html So what's next for Smith? Like Luke Babbitt. Like JJ Hickson. Like Sasha Pavlovic and Jared Jeffries, Smith's tenure with the Blazers will end this week and he will not be coming back. Sources close to Smith say there will be a host of teams poised to offer him a second chance, with the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder likely be the most aggressive pursuers. His stats: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithno01.html
A thoughtful comparison. Throughout their careers Gordon's clearly been the better player, but the difference between the two is closer than you'd think. I hope we throw a two year deal his way with a team option for the second, for 3 mil per. Draft Withey, drop rip and Marco, and give it a go with the troops one more time. Pray Mirotic is as good as we hope he is. I think he likes playing here, but will chase the money this offseason. Can't say I blame him. The guy's had two very good seasons in a row but still can't get anything more than a minimum contract. He's in his basketball prime so this is probably it for him. Being 5'9 isn't good for your NBA shelf life, but lil' Nate's done a good job of beating the odds so far.
I'm hoping the Bulls keep Nate and let Rip and Marco walk. Jimsanity has earned the starting SG slot and just has way more mojo than the other two. Rip's a grouch and a cripple. Marco's a 27 year old journeyman with a career PER of 10......who's supposed to be good at offense. A four guard rotation of Jimmer, Kirk, Rose and Nate would work well. Nate's minutes would be sporadic but he'd be extremely handy when we need another scorer. There were plenty of times we've needed someone like that during Rose's last two years and he's much better than JLIII is.
Gordon wasn't effective for the Bobcats this year. I thought he'd have a better season, but unfortunately like most former Sixth Man award winners he hasn't amounted to much. Nate is leading a broken team to the second round. I don't think this thread should be made now, considering that the Bulls are fresh off of a Nate Robinson tear. Wait until the dust settles first.
He just did. Nate continues to amaze. The big stage not only doesn't faze him, it's bringing out his best...a level of play few of us anticipated. Fact is, while many of us have been hoping for SRose to come to the team's rescue, Robinson is giving the Bulls the same sort of offensive production from the PG position that we hoped Rose would.
Nate, like BG, is thriving in the starting role. As a bench player, Nate has had great games and has had near zero games, right? So we have seen Rose, Lucas III, and now Nate thrive as PG in Thibs' offense. Any idea why the two lesser players do so well? I have my own theory, which is Thibs' offense values a PG that can score and make his own opportunities. If the goal of offense is to make the defense better by using up most of the :24, then manufacturing shots (and making them) with little time on the clock is huge.
