Bulls bench Ben. Bulls bench Ben. Bulls bench Ben.
Pretty fun to say. Of course, Ben Gordon probably doesn’t think so.
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Changes
Chicago Bulls interim head coach Jim Boylan has decided to move Ben Gordon back to the bench. He will resume his former role as the team’s sixth man. Chris Duhon will start in his place. The team has been laying well below expectations. Changes needed to be made, and it started off with the firing of Scott Skiles as head coach. However, when Jim Boylan took over, he felt that more changes were needed. So, he decided to utilize Ben Gordon off the bench to provide an offensive spark to the second unit. It’s a role that Ben Gordon has excelled in previously. He won the 2004 NBA Sixth Man award. The transition will be a familiar one for Ben Gordon, but it will also be a difficult one. Jim Boylan has already stated that he’s fully aware of the difficulties for Ben Gordan. However, he hopes that Ben Gordan can embrace the role that he feels is best for the team. |
Difficulties
They say that money is the root of all evil. Well, Ben Gordon’s financial concerns have hampered his play this year.
Over the summer, Ben Gordon turned down a $50 million offer from the Chicago Bulls. He obviously feels that he’s worth more money than that.
He also feels that being a sixth man is going to get in the way of his financial goals. Very few teams in the league pay their sixth men more than $50.
We’re assuming that Ben Gordon would be more willing to accept a bench position if he already had a long term contract like Manu Ginobili does. The San Antonio Spurs are currently thriving thanks to Manu Ginobili accepting a role as the team’s sixth man.
Trade
This is an ugly situation for the Chicago Bulls and Ben Gordon.Things are obviously not working out as well as they should be, and the best option for everyone involved might be to trade Ben Gordon.
We’re sure the thought has crossed the mind of Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson. A further disgruntled Ben Gordon could expedite the process. If Ben Gordon continues to sulk and struggle on the court, then John Paxson would lose leverage in negotiations with other teams.
Closing Thoughts
Things are getting ugly. A trade needs to happen as soon as possible.