Jordan was also really high on Brian Scalabrine. Not trying to compare the two players, just stating facts. I think Gordon will be a prime time player in this league, you just have to take Jordan's opinions with a grain of salt.
Gordon is going to be a real good player. He's really strong, he benches 300 pounds. I don't know many other guards that can do that besides B Diddy and yes...Earl Boykins.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">No, I'm referring to trading Courtney Alexander for the #17 pick, and reaching by drafting Juan Dixon. I'm referring to the trading stackhouse for Hamilton. I'm referring to the drafting Jarred Jefferies that high. Mike was a great ballplayer. But I don't think anybody would say he did a good job evaluating talent when he was with the Wizards. Just because Mike likes him, it doesn't mean he's gonna be great. I'd trust the words of Joe Dumars before I would MJ....that's just a fact</div>As I recall, Courtney was swapped for #17, because they were hoping to grab Jiri Welsch as their future PG. Instead he went #16 to GSW, Juan Dixon was there and they had no other PGs to turn to, so the rest is history. The Stack for Hamilton trade was not my favorite trade either - but the catalyst was not an evaluation of players, but rather MJ's opinion that Rip didn't deserve the max. Instead of trying to build around him, he shipped him off. Obviously hindsight is 20/20, as Henacy said, but it still wasn't the greatest of moves. What was more infuriating was the signing of Stack to an extension after MJ left, but before a new GM was signed. Just another DC Wiz screw up to add to the list. Jeffries was an interesting pick - the biggest problem in my mind with that draft was not trading up 1 pick to grab Caron - and then hoping Jeffries could play SF. As to the Kwame draft - somebody asked what you would have done if you had been in MJs position at that draft. It's quite simple. I would have pulled the trigger on the #1 for Elton Brand trade. The reports are that it was offered to MJ, but he demanded Jamal Crawford to be packaged with Brand if he was going to do a trade. Not a bad demand looking back, but it cost him the deal. And so instead of Brand we get Kwame, who's done nothing for 3 years. It's not luck, and it's not just a problem of evaluating players. It's a lack of knowledge of how to build a team, and in my mind, a lack of a plan B. That's what the Dixon and Jeffries picks seemed to me to be, but also, Dumars knew how to put the pieces together to make a team. Jordan may have been able to see the player's talent, but couldn't put it together. All this is to say though, that Jordan's stamp of approval on Gordon is only good for the motivation it brings to Gordon to prove him right. Personally, I think Gordon could be a good scorer, but I don't expect anything huge out of him for a season or two. And I'm not sure he's what the Bulls really need right now either. If Jordan could ride Curry and get him to pull up his pants and get into shape, now THAT would be something.
