<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ch3n:</div><div class="quote_post">Ben is damn good and hopefully he can improve, but even if he improves and we lose Duhon, there really isn't much of a bench. Losing Duhon means Kirk will take the point, his scoring will most likely go down. Ben will need to pace himself more and not go all out in the 4th like he did last season. Then you look at the bench and I just don't see anything. I just feel losing Duhon will ruin the balance of playmaking and scoring with the Bulls guards.</div> Yeah, I see your concern, but remember Scott Skiles has been known to get the best out of all his player and talent he is given. Look at the playoffs with even Lawrence Funderburke who joined the team two games prior to the playoffs performed relatively well for them having some great hustle plays, and even getting some lose balls that got us a few possessions. I think with the bench of Andres Nocioni, Eddie Basden (who is a great defender as well by the way), Othella Harrington, Antonio Davis, and Pike we can have a solid ten man rotation. Also that article on Ben Gordon I promised to try and find... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Greg Couch Gordon still trying to figure out Skiles The Bulls had clinched a playoff spot and Tyson Chandler couldn't stop smiling and the buzz was clear throughout the locker room. Except in one corner, where Ben Gordon quietly stared into the back of his locker while getting dressed to go home. He sat down. Put on his shoes. Stood. Picked up a hairbrush. Quietly brushed four or five strokes on top of his head. Then he started stuffing all sorts of things in a couple of duffel bags. "Too much crap,'' he muttered. You have to wonder how much Gordon feels a part of all this. He should, of course, considering how many games he has won all by himself. Coach Scott Skiles has worked miracles with the psyche of this program and its players, but Gordon's psyche has been among the most challenging. He has been the superstar in crunchtime, scoring double-digit points in the fourth quarter in 21 games. Not even Kobe Bryant has done that. Or Kevin Garnett. That's when superstars are made. But if Gordon owns the fourth quarter, he can be invisible during the first three. Last week in the hoopla around the Final Four in St. Louis, Jim Calhoun, Gordon's college coach at Connecticut, was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He said Gordon still calls regularly just to talk about what he's going through. And Calhoun revealed a few things about Gordon, and also about the techniques (games?) Skiles uses on him. Is Ben happy? "Oh, yes, Ben's happy,'' Calhoun said. "He just doesn't understand why Scott doesn't speak to him.'' Skiles doesn't speak to Gordon? "I'm not criticizing Scott,'' Calhoun said. "He's done a masterful job with that team. He doesn't talk to Ben, but that makes Ben wonder what Coach is thinking about him all the time, asking assistant coaches, 'What does Coach think?' "He's got Ben exactly where he wants him.'' It takes different approaches for different brains. We've seen Eddy Curry frustrated with Skiles, who has benched him at important times and questioned his effort and fitness. But Curry has developed despite the frustrations, and his effort and fitness are good. "[Skiles] challenges us, gets us fired up and motivated,'' Chandler said. "He makes you have a love-hate relationship with him.'' So why can't Gordon score in the first three quarters, then can't be stopped in the fourth? "They don't play him before the fourth quarter,'' Calhoun said. "And that's not a criticism of Scott [Skiles]. Ben is the best clutch shooter I've had. But he only plays 24 minutes a game. The other night, I think he had 30-something points playing 12 minutes in the fourth quarter and 11 minutes the [rest of the game].''</div> Source <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ch3n:</div><div class="quote_post">BTW: you like Dee Brown? He lives 2 minutes away from me </div> Yo you for real think you can get me an autograph?
If I was Paxson, I'd let Duhon walk. Signing Duhon and hence cutting into the MLE would prevent the Bulls from re-signing their second round picks under the new CBA - a.k.a. Gilbert Arenas rule. Besides, keeping Duhon will only hinder Hinrich's development as a PG, because he will have to play out of position.
