Advice to the Chicago Bulls of 08-09

by B.J. on 4/22/2008 08:12:00 AM 0 comments Print this post

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I wrote a preview of the season insinuating that maybe this team came full circle since the days of MJ.

I guess we did go full circle.

If you thought the starting point of that circle was the 98-99 season.

This was as big a nightmare a season as any other year since. Same players, same coach, swept the world champions the year before, gave the Pistons a battle, had Kobe wanting to come on over, Luol Deng was adding a post game, we finally had actual big guys!

Then the season started.

33-49 after a 49-33 finish last year. Never have I experienced such a disconnect from expectation and achievement, but I guess its best not to dwell. So I'll move forward with whatever happens next year, and it begins with this simple but crucial piece of advice:

Make Ben Gordon and NOT Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, or whomever you may draft, THE primary guy, the Captain on offense. He's NOT just a bench player. He's the guy you go to in the clutch. He's the leading goddamn scorer on this goddamn team, from the goddamn fucking bench.

Our success has strongly correlated with his success whether it's been rebouning from an 0-9 start, striving to make the playoffs, this guy's been the driving force. Conversely When BG's not successful on offense, the team is not likely to be successful. It follows that our most successful time this season or in any season prior was when a change was made to spark Gordon. However this year, it didn't last long because his minutes were reduced from the bench role, and our defense decided to take the rest of the year off.

4th quarter is where games are won, and it's obvious this guy is one of the best at it. Even in an off-year like this, he's still one of the tops in clutch stats. Freekin' elite ass skill if you ask me.

http://www.82games.com/CSORT11.HTM


Funny, no one seems to be writing off D-Wade's abilities because of his team's horrid year.

BG's skills are not acknowleged because the team was so in love with seeming "completeness" of Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. Deng and Hinrich have the right height for their position. They do their jobs just right.

What fans and most analysts failed to notice is that they do NOTHING special. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING special that couln't be replaced. They don't make any momentum for this team nor do they set any pace for anyone to follow. Their captaincy this year has been a monumentally abysmal failure.

I could argue that them being out of the lineup wouldn't have been bad.

Meanwile, getting Gordon to go, is like getting the engine to your car started. Perhaps it needs more than a spark, like a jump start. If you don't get that started, you're left to pushing a really heavy cart with wheels on it called the 2007-2008 Chicago Bulls season.

So please do everything to make BG a success if he happens to stay here.

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