Stats from Basketball-Reference

Charlotte Injury Report:
Byron Mullens: out (sprained ankle)

Overview:
A Friday night win over Golden State looked like a good sign for the Bulls, something that could be built on. They had been struggling at home on the season, just above .500, and the Warriors were coming off wins over the Thunder and Clippers.

The Bulls, somewhat easily actually, took care of the Warriors, which set up the chance to either build on that victory, or slip up as Washington was awaiting them. The Bulls came out flat and opted for the latter. It was just another dip in the up-and-down season that is the 2012-2013 Bulls campaign. They’ve had highs (two wins at MSG over the Knicks and third place in the East without their best player, to name a few), but also some lows (ending Charlotte’s 18-game losing streak, the Suns’ 12-game road losing streak, falling to the Wizards, to name the worst).

If we are going to praise the Bulls for their highs, and beating the Warriors in the commanding way they did was a high, we have to talk about their lows as well. Under Tom Thibodeau it wasn’t often the Bulls came out flat. But this year, it’s happened way too many times. They don’t have their best player, which could be an excuse, but they have shown they can win without Derrick Rose.

These losses are frustrating because the Bulls have shown that they are still a very good team. They proved it against the Knicks, Thunder, Heat, Grizzlies (played them very tough twice) and Warriors. So the problem isn’t talent, it may be effort and focus.

One of the worst no-shows of the season was a home game against the Bobcats, in which Charlotte ended an 18-game losing streak. The Bulls got embarrassed in that one, and should come looking for revenge tonight. Chicago shot 35.1 percent in that loss and managed just 81 points against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. The Bobcats give up 103.2 points per contest.

Joakim Noah was the biggest disappointment, scoring just two points and grabbing four boards in his 30 minutes of action. Carlos Boozer (19 points, 14 rebounds) and Luol Deng (20 points, 12 rebounds) both put in double-double, but pretty much everyone else on the team came up small. Nate Robinson finished 2-11 starting in place of Kirk Hinrich. Marco Belinelli was 3-12 off the bench and Marquis Teague was 2-7. Maybe it was that Hinrich, their leader was missing….they really could have used his 7.0 points per game…(does the math)…nope that wouldn’t have been enough.

Since beating the Bulls to end 2012, the Bobcats are 3-9. They’ve beaten the Pistons, Magic and Timberwolves. They are fresh off that Minnesota win, a game that ended Charlotte’s 16-game home losing streak (it’s good to know the Bulls aren’t the only team that the Bobcats snapped something against). It was a very injured Timberwolves squad, but it counts nonetheless.

Kemba Walker led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Off the bench, Ramon Sessions was 9-10 from the charity stripe, finishing with 23 points and Ben Gordon scored 18 points. Charlotte scored 50 points in the paint, to 32 for the Timberwolves, and grabbed eight more rebounds (38-30).

The Bulls may get a boost with Luol Deng coming back. Jimmy Butler said after shootaround that he was “glad to have (Luol) back. We’re going to just keep going. Same role coming off the bench.” Deng is officially listed as a game-time decision.

From Stats LLC: The Bulls have won five of their last seven games against teams with winning records by an average of 8.4 points. The bad news: Charlotte is far from a winning record.

The post Bobcats-Bulls Preview appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Or was it a little of Column A and a little of Column B?

The Pistons had been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for most of the 2000s. Then Joe Dumars sent Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver in exchange for Allen Iverson and everything went to hell. But the experts insisted the trade that exiled Detroit’s heart and soul was part of Dumars’ master plan to rebuild the Pistons on the quick…a plan that culminated in him spending $90 million on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva last summer.

So far that plan has been a miserable failure.

Last night’s blowout was Detroit’s worst loss of the season, both because it set a season-high for margin of defeat and because it increased their losing streak to 13. That’s the most consecutive losses the Pistons have had since the end of the 1993-94 season. There are mitigating circumstances, of course. Detroit has had a rash of injuries to key players. Tayshaun Prince didn’t play last night, and Ben Gordon logged only six minutes because of a recurring hamstring injury.

Speaking of which, Gordon and Villanueva — Dumars’ big offseason acquisitions — combined to score 2 points on 1-for-11 shooting. Do you think Pistons fans want their $90 million back? I bet Dumars sure does.

And make no mistake: the Bulls must not become the Pistons. And I’m not talking about this season’s implosion. I’m talking about next summer, when Chicago will have lots of money to throw at free agents. The Bulls absolutely must not spend foolishly if they cannot lure a big-time FA to the Windy City. Detroit is now a blueprint for what a team should not do with a financial windfall.

Meanwhile…are the Bulls finally finding themselves? They have now back-to-back blowout wins at home against a couple of the league’s worst teams, so their scoring surplus over the last two games is probably a bit deceiving. However, they were trending upward even before the Timberwolves and Pistons came to town.

After scoring 100 or more only three times in their first 28 games, the Bulls have now scored 100+ five times in the last eight games (plus a 98-point game in Detroit against the Pistons). Their three-point shooting is picking up too, as the Bulls have hit 45 percent of their treys (42-for-93) over the last eight games. And John Salmons has been on fire, hitting nearly 60 percent of his three-pointers (19-for-32) in the nine games since he was removed from the starting lineup.

Derrick Rose has been lighting it up, too, by both scoring and dishing off to teammates. Last night, he finished with 22 poings (11-for-13) and a game-high 9 assists. Rose has now scored 20+ points in 11 of his last 18 games. And maybe even more importantly, he’s compiled at least 7 assists in the last six games, including three games with 9 assists. He hasn’t exactly transformed into Steve Nash, but both the quantity and quality of his passes have increased as of late.

The Bulls have won six of their last nine contests, and the three losses were close games they could have won. So what’s up with the improved play?

Said Vinny Del Negro: “We have Tyrus [Thomas] and Kirk [Hinrich] back and we’ve had some practice time together. Guys know their role off the bench because we have our rotation set with guys helping. And the schedule has been more in our favor.”

Sounds simple enough.

The schedule won’t be in Chicago’s favor for long though. The Bulls now face a stretch where they play 10 of their next 12 games on the road, and they will face the Celtics, Suns, Rockets, Spurs, Thunder, and Hawks in that span. It’s going to be rough. Maybe even very rough.

But then again, we might be seeing signs of good things for the Bulls.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

The post Points galore: Bulls 120, Pistons 87 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Wait, wait, wait. Let me try to wrap my head around this craziness: The Bulls — who arrived in Detroit a mere 2-11 on the road and hadn’t won away from home in six long weeks — strolled into the Palace of Auburn Hills, took early command of their game against the Pistons, and built a 20-point fourth quarter lead (87-67 off a Ty Thomas dunk with 7:01 left) before coasting to a shockingly easy victory?

Okay. Who are these guys and what have they done to the real Chicago Bulls?

Said Joakim Noah: “This feels good. I think we are just playing better basketball right now for whatever reason.”

For whatever reason…and what exactly are the reasons? Maybe the team is rallying around their embattled coach. (I doubt that, but who knows?) Maybe it’s the return of Tyrus Thomas, who has significantly improved the team’s offense, defense and depth. Since his return from forearm surgery, Thomas has been aggressive, energetic and focused. Against the Pistons, his intensity led to 14 free throw attempts. That’s huge for a team that currently ranks 26th in Free Throw Attempts Per Game (22.5).

I would say 16 PPG, 10 RPG and 2 BPG in three games back is pretty good. More importantly, the Bulls are now 3-0 since Ty’s return, and 5-2 on the season when he suits up.

Another reason for the upswing has been a steady improvement in team defense. Remember, Chicago began the season playing pretty solid D before temporarily forgetting what “hand in the face” means. From November 19 through December 9, the Bulls gave up 100+ points in eight out of 10 games, including four games in which they surrendered at least 110. Opposing teams were basically forming a conga line to the hoop. Since then, Chicago has allowed 100 points only twice in 10 games: once to the Boston Celtics (who are pretty good) and once (quite infamously) to the Kings.

Sure, the Bulls have played some stinkers during this recent stretch (Pacers, Knicks, Warriors, etc.), but they’ve also held quality opponents like the Hawks and Lakers below 100 points. And, very quietly, Chicago has climbed back into the top 10 in Defensive Efficiency, a category in which they currently rank 9th (102.0 Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions).

Seems worth noting.

Then too the Bulls have been getting much improved play from Derrick Rose, who after last night’s 22-point effort against the Pistons has scored 20+ points in six of the last eight games. In November, Rose was averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds. Derrick’s December numbers are 20.2 PPG, 6.1 APG and 3.8 RPG. As you can see, he’s been picking it up a little. Part of his improvement has been physical, as he finally recovered from his preseason ankle injury. Another part has seemingly been mental, as Rose must have realized he has to be The Man now for the Bulls to succeed.

Where does that leave the Bulls now? I’m not sure. There are some dark shadows on the horizon, as the team must play 13 of their next 20 games on the road, including a seven-game Western Conference road trip. This stretch includes games in Boston, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. And our next home game — on Saturday against the Orlando Magic — could get ugly.

I’m just sayin’…the Bulls aren’t out of the woods yet.

The Good, the Bad, and the Joakim:
Noah had another monstrous game (15 points, 5-or-8, 21 rebounds, 4 assists), but turned the ball over a ghastly 8 times. Jo’s miscues included back-to-back steals by Tayshaun Prince that he converted into layups to tie the game at 33-all in the second quarter.

Off the bench:
John Salmons wasn’t exactly happy about losing his starting job to Kirk Hinrich, but the move seems to be working. Salmons has back-to-back 17 point games in which he has gone 11-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Former Bull factor:
Ben Gordon scored 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting (including 3-for-8 from downtown). But the most important number is that BG is now 0-2 against the Bulls this season. Oh, and Ben Wallace had 2 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocked shots.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

The post Three in a row: Bulls 98, Pistons 87 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

That’s like comforting a friend who just broke his leg by pointing out that at least he doesn’t have cancer. But thanks for trying to cheer us up, Neil.

Anyway, last night’s game was just…strange. Ben Gordon returned from injury to face his old team, but BG wasn’t exactly his old self. He nearly fouled out in only 31 minutes and scored a mere 18 points on 6-for-16 shooting (including 2-for-8 from three-point land). Maybe it was emotion, maybe it was the bum ankle, maybe it was the defense. I don’t know. But there were no “Air Gordon” exploits in the United Center last night. Bulls fans did have some boos for their former hero, though.

Said Gordon: “It is what it is. It’s not like I won the championship while I was here or anything. I just had a couple of good years, so I wasn’t surprised at all. … I expected that, seeing past players come back after going to another team.”

It’s so weird watching a beloved former player play against his old team. It’s like running into an old girlfriend. On the one hand, you wish her well (kinda) and want her to be happy (sorta), but it also makes you want to throw up in your own mouth to see her holding hands with her new boyfriend. I mean, you kind of want to punch him right in his smug mouth, right? Well, I hope Ben understands those boos were the equivalent of Bulls fans punching the Pistons in the mouth.

Meanwhile, the Bulls managed to snap their losing streak by beating a Detroit squad that was withoug three of its four best players (Charlie Villanueva, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince). Frankly, even with Kirk Hinrich (sprained thumb) and Tyrus Thomas (forearm fracture) on the injured list, Chicago should have won in a blowout. The Bulls kept building double-digit leads and threatening to pull away, but they never did.

Look, Detroit’s starting five scored only 33 points and finished with almost as many turnovers (9) as field goals (11). Shouldn’t the Bulls have won by more than seven points? Yes. Yes, they should have. Frankly, it worries me. It worries me a lot. The Bulls played last night’s game like they expected to win. I never really saw a sense of urgency, which is shocking considering how badly they got kicked around on their circus road trip.

And now the Bulls have to face the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday? Gulp.

Derrick Rose:
The new Big Sexy had a good game (19 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) even if he did commit a game-high 5 turnovers. But wowed the hell out of the UC crowd by throwing down not one but two alley oop dunks, both off picture-perfect feeds from Brad Miller. One of them was the NBA.com Dunk of the Night…and deservedly so.

When I see plays like that — plays that show off his extreme athleticism — I can’t help but wonder why he averages only 3.1 free throw attempts per game. That’s fifth on the team and barely ahead of Miller (3.0). Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade — another super-athletic slasher — is averaging more than 10 foul shots per contest.

Look, I get that Derrick hurt his ankle in the offseason. But you know, he averaged exactly 3.1 FTAs per game last season too. Frankly, it’s time for Rose to put his speed and strength to use. He needs to explode into the paint and attack the rim with savage intensity. He needs to put more pressure on opposing defenses. As it is, running into a double or triple team usually either stops him cold or forces him into a bad pass.

I’d love to see Rose develop more of a killer instinct and an attacker’s mentality. It would be great for his game and, by extension, great for the Bulls.

Pain in the Paint:
There weren’t any obvious big-game performers in Detroit’s frontcourt. Heck, Ben Wallace didn’t even score a point. But the Pistons still pulled down 17 offensive rebounds. That’s not acceptable. Nor is the fact that Kwame Brown scored 10 points and earned eight free throw attempts in limited action. I mean, Kwame outscored Joakim Noah 10-7 even though he played 23 minutes to Noah’s 46. Although Noah did kick butt in several other ways (14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocked shots).

That’s a relief:
John Salmons went 3-for-4 from downtown, 7-for-12 overall, and finished with a game-high 22 points. You think he wasn’t aware of the fact that he was going up against the man he basically replaced?

Thanks for being the bench, Brad:
The big guy contributed 16 points (6-for-12), 7 boards, 6 assists and a block off the bench. Oh, what am I saying? He was the bench. Have I mentioned the Bulls really need a bench? Man, this team looked so deep coming into the season. Huh. I wonder why Vinny gave James Johnson another DNP-CD? Isn’t this the time to try and develop the rookie?

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

The post An much-needed but uninspiring win: Bulls 92, Pistons 85 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Sure, the Bulls are minus one starter (Tyrus Thomas) and their sixth man (Kirk Hinrich), but the Pistons could be without their four best players. That should more than even things up, right?

Of course, I have a feeling BG will gut this one out. I bet he’d love to have one of those classic “see what you lost” revenge games. Yeah, he could do that the next time the Bulls play in Detroit, but I’m sure it would be much sweeter for him to do it in Chicago. And much more damaging to the psyche of Bulls fans, many of which are starting to seriously second-guess the decision to let Ben walk in the face of this five-game losing streak.

I hope the Bulls can come out a little angry tonight. They need to make up some of the ground they lost on the circus trip. And considering their next game is in Cleveland on Friday night, they need this one to avoid a possible (ugh) seven-game skid.

The post Now is the best time to play the Pistons appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

There are several things that worry me about the 2009-10 Bulls season. The first-half schedule. Vinny Del Negro’s coaching. Luol Deng’s ability to return from injury and regain his 2006-07 form. Tyrus Thomas’ maturity, decision-making and proclivity for jump-shooting. The continuing lack of an inside scoring threat. Defensive rebounding. Team defense in general.

One thing I’m not all that worried about is the loss of Ben Gordon. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll miss BG, and so (at times) will the Bulls. He was a warrior, a fearless scorer, and a true joy to watch…when he wasn’t forcing up bad shots and getting backed down by bigger guards on defense. But the reason I’m not sweating his exodus to Detroit is because I believe in his replacement. I believe in John Salmons.

(Quick segue: I hate the fact that many so-called experts have claimed either that the Bulls didn’t replace Gordon or they replaced him with Jannero Pargo. The Bulls brought in Ben’s replacement last season when they traded for Salmons. Management had, for years, been searching for a bigger guard who could both score and play defense. That is, after all, why they drafted Thabo Sefolosha. So if you think about it, replacing Gordon with a player like Salmons was part of the long-term game plan all along.)

Last season, Salmons set new personal bests in several categories: Minutes Per Game (37.5), Points Per Game (18.3), Three-Point Percentage (41.7), Free Throw Percentage (83.0), Effective Field Goal Percentage (53.0), Offensive Rating (113), Win Shares (5.6) and Player Efficiency Rating (16.0). He also tied or nearly tied his career marks in Field Goal Percentage (47.2), Rebounds Per Game (4.2), Assists Per Game (3.2) and Steals Per Game (1.1). Clearly, even though he struggled at the end and in the playoffs due to a lingering groin injury, it was a career season for Salmons.

However, the general consensus seems to be that he can’t possibly repeat the performance, that he will inevitably take a step back. Maybe even a big step back. Why? Why is that such a sure thing? Most people point to the fact that some of his numbers took such a sharp step up (such as PPG, which went from 12.5 in 2007-08 to 18.3 in 2008-09). But was Salmons’ improvement really that much of a surprise? It shouldn’t have been.

Last season was Salmons’ first as a full-time starter. It was the first time he received a starter’s minutes and starter’s shot attempts…for a full season. However, you should check out the splits for his 2007-08 season with the Kings. Due to a variety of injuries to his teammates, Salmons started a then-career-high 41 games that season. As a starter, he put up numbers quite similar to last season’s career-year: 38.1 MPG, 17.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 49.7 FG%, 38.5 3P%. Unfortunately for Salmons, when his teammates returned from injury, he returned to the bench. Obviously, his numbers dropped like a stone.

The point is, last season’s seemingly out-of-nowhere performance wasn’t as out-of-nowhere as it seemed. Salmons had already shown what he could do as a featured player, but he did it for only half a season on a pretty awful Kings team that nobody outside of Sacramento was watching. I guess it’s not too surprising that few people noticed or even cared.

If you look at the numbers and his skill set — good shooter, capable of penetration, can finish or draw the foul, solid on defense — then you can see it’s not really a foregone conclusion that Salmons is going to regress this season. He is, after all, only 29 years old, which means he’s still in his athletic prime. He has to help fill the void created by a guy who scored 20+ PPG, which means he’s going to get minutes and shots. And if the second half of last season is any indication, the Bulls will probably be an up-tempo team this season, which is always good for stats. Furthermore, Salmons is going to be a key component of the defensive game plan (and I say that hoping there actually will be a defensive game plan).

Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that Salmons will probably opt out of his contract after this season. If that’s the case, he has pretty strong incentive to play at his absolute best in order to maximize any potential payday he’ll receive next summer. He’ll be 30 years old by then, which means this is most likely his last and best chance for a fat contract.

So yeah, I believe in John Salmons. I bet that, soon, you’ll believe in him too.

The post I believe in John Salmons appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Some Bulls fans are wondering why the team hasn’t been aggressively pursuing free agents, particularly Ben Gordon, whom they lost to the Pistons. As always, the answer is all about money.

As reported by Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald, the NBA finally released the new salary cap and luxury-tax threshold: “For the second time since the cap was instituted in 1984, the number dropped. The new cap is $57.7 million, about a million less than last year. The luxury-tax threshold is $69.92 million. The mid-level exception, which is supposed to represent the average salary, is $5.85 million.”

What does that mean for the Bulls? A lot.

McGraw crunched the numbers for the 11 players the team already has under contract and the qualifying offer they made to Aaron Gray. Read ’em and weep:

Brad Miller $12.25 million
Luol Deng $10.37 million
Kirk Hinrich $9.5 million
Jerome James $6.6 million
Tim Thomas $6.47 million
John Salmons $6.35 million
Derrick Rose $5.18 million
Tyrus Thomas $4.74 million
Joakim Noah $2.46 million
Aaron Gray $1.0 million
James Johnson $1.59 million
Taj Gibson $1.04 million

Total (including Gray): $67.544 million
Luxury tax threshold: $69.92 million

As you can see, the Bulls are already about $10 million over the new salary cap. Even worse, they’re within a couple million of the luxury tax threshold. Remember, for every dollar the Bulls go over that threshold, they have to pay a dollar in taxes. With the economy swirling down the toilet, that’s a penalty almost every NBA team has been bending over backward to avoid. The Bulls are no exception.

Even assuming the Bulls retain Gray, they’re still required to have a 13th player on their roster. Some teams even sign 14 players as an injury contingency. So, if Gray ends up wearing red this season, that means the Bulls have just under $2.4 million left to sign one or two more players. Realistically, the team could end up spending most or all of that money Jannero Pargo. And there’s no guarantee the Bulls can or will do that.

It’s also possible the Bulls will try to fill out the last couple roster spots with players from their summer league team. Pippin Ain’t Easy posted the Bulls’ summer league roster, and there are some potentials there: “Actual Bulls on the roster consist of new draft picks James Johnson and Taj Gibson as well as Anthony Roberson, Linton Johnson III and DeMarcus Nelson. The Bulls will play five games from July 14-19 at Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV. Others included are some players with memorable NCAA Tourney experience/performances: Lorenzo Mata-Real from UCLA was a fun player to watch during the tourneys. James Augustine from the Illini and their 2005 tourney run. Taurean Green filled it up and won with the Gators.”

I said “potentials,” not “great potentials.” The bottom line is this: Bulls management wants to avoid the luxury tax while maintaining financial flexibility for next summer. They’re willing to bide their time and field an average to slightly-above average team this season, in the hopes that they’ll be able to make a move at the trade deadline or next summer. All I’m saying is, don’t expect John Paxson and Gar Forman to bring in any major help for the 2009-10 campaign.

The post The numbers crunch appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Now that Ben Gordon is a former Bull, it looks like former Bull Jannero Pargo might be coming back to Chicago.

Pargo spent the last year playing overseas, first for the Moscow Dynamo (who had to buy out his contract due to financial difficulties) and then Olympiakos in Greece (otherwise known as the team that stole Josh Childress from the Atlanta Hawks). Now he’s coming back to the NBA, and both the Bulls and New Orleans Hornets (whom he played for prior to bolting for Moscow) are interested in re-acquiring his services.

Pargo isn’t going to replace Ben Gordon. Not by a longshot. Pargo’s career averages — 6.9 PPG, 39.5 percent shooting, 36.5 percent from downtown — barely match what Gordon would do on a really bad might. Fortunately, the Bulls wouldn’t ask him to be Ben Gordon Part II. They would simply need him to be a solid, steady, veteran contributer off the bench. And Pargo excelled in that role when he was with the Hornets in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

If the Bulls sign him, he’d make a great (and cost-effective) backup.

Update! The scouting report on Jannero Pargo: Here’s the skinny from Pargo’s DraftExpress player profile:

Overview: “A tremendous scoring combo guard. … Possesses only average size and physical strength for the point guard spot. Shows good quickness and lateral speed. Won’t play above the rim, but can get there occasionally. Plays with a scorer’s mentality, and isn’t known for his playmaking skills. Incredible shot-maker from the perimeter, but is a bit streaky. Never gets rattled, and never loses sight of what he brings to the table. Will play tough defense. Tough player in general with outstanding intangibles. Has become a useful role player. … His playoff performances with the Bulls and then the Hornets were huge for his career.”

On offense: “A good offensive point guard who will run the pick and roll and hit spot up shots from the perimeter. Displays a very fundamentally sound shooting stroke and can stretch the floor after he initiates the offense. Good catch and shoot guy. Just as capable off the dribble. Would much rather pull up than attack the rim due to his lack of size and leaping ability. Has the quickness to create separation off the dribble. Can absolutely take over a game at times with his stroke, and change the complexion of the contest — making him a tremendous option to bring off the bench as a change of pace guard. If his shooting stroke isn’t on, though, he can become a liability. Never been known as a terribly efficient player throughout his career, partially due to his struggles converting shots around the rim. Not quite as good as a pure point guard as he is as a scorer. Has improved significantly throughout his career in that respect, though. Used to be very turnover prone. Handles the ball well, and while he may not be a great creator, he is a very solid passer. Very rarely gets to the free throw line. Handles pressure well, and can hit his free throws at a very high rate. Plays within himself, which is a trait that took him time to develop. Extremely confident.”

On defense: “A very good defender who uses his quickness to hawk the ball, but does not have great length at 6-2. Can be a real nuisance for less athletic point guards. Moves his feet extremely well and maintains a low stance. Will get too aggressive sometimes and get beaten off the dribble, but not often. Commits some fouls by nature of his assertiveness. Does his best to keep the ball out of the lane. Not a risk taker, but plays with a physicality that allows him to be a very good defensive point guard. Struggles when forced to defend shooting guards, though, which happens fairly often. Not strong enough at times to fight through screens on the pick and roll. Lacks the height to contest shots and make an impact on the glass, but will run down long rebounds and do his best to get a hand up when he can.”

The post The Bulls want Jannero Pargo appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

This just in from ESPN.com: “The Detroit Pistons made the biggest early splash in free agency on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Former Bulls guard Gordon will receive a five-year, $55 million deal, while former Bucks forward Villanueva gets a five-year deal for $35 million, sources told ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard.”

Wow. I guess that’s it, then. Ben is no longer a Bull. And that $11 million per year “rumor” turned out to be dead on.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune got a quick reaction from the man himself: “Even in his excitement, Gordon expressed disappointment to be leaving the city of Chicago and a Bulls organization for which he consistently maintained he hoped to play. ‘I’ve always said since the jump this is somewhere I’d like to retire, have a 15-year career, get a couple of rings,’ Gordon said. ‘That was my idealistic thing the day I got drafted. But you never know in this business.'”

No. You really and truly never know.

Honestly? I’m bummed. Despite his flaws as a player — undersized, one-dimensional, a little shot-happy — Gordon, more than anyone else, was the team’s one true constant over the past four or five seasons. He missed only 12 games in five seasons. He never shot under 40 percent from three-point range (and only during his rookie campaign did he hit less than 41 percent). He led the Bulls in scoring the past four seasons. He never quit or gave up on the team, even after contract negotiations broke down the last two summers. No, he couldn’t defend bigger guards (which was pretty much everybody), but during his time in Chicago he was an exemplary player and person. (Well, exept for that time he cussed out Vinny Del Negro.)

But you know what’s odd about Ben’s career in the Windy City? He was a proven 20-point scorer and one of the league’s premier long-range snipers, and yet management never treated him like anything more than a complimentary piece…and not a make-or-break piece at that. Sure, they offered him $50 million-plus the last two summers, but they were never willing to grant him The Man status. Heck, it was never even a sure thing he’d be a starter.

Some franchises fall all over themselves for somebody with Ben’s combination of character and ability (not to mention his stats). Just ask the Pistons. But in the end, this was a business decision. On the giant brass scales of NBA value, Ben’s knack for putting the ball in the basket did not outweigh the combination of his flaws and worth on the open market. Not to Jerry Reinsdorf anyway. Not in this economy. Not with a shot at a bona fide superstar next summer. (Don’t even get me started on “What if the Bulls can’t lure Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to Chicago?”)

Now the Bulls have to move on. They need to figure out where Ben’s 20 points per game is going to come from. (I’m guessing it will be covered by committee.) They’ll have to groom somebody else to take the big shots. (My money’s on Derrick Rose.) They’ll have to plan for the future…because Ben Gordon is history.

Update! More quotes from BG:

On leaving the Bulls: “I don’t have any regrets, and I don’t have any bitter feelings for the Bulls. Business is business. I’m going to a situation now where winning is the No. 1 priority. I’m happy with my decision. … Once I tried to sign their offer last year and the deadline passed and I signed the qualifying offer, I knew leaving was a possibility. Really I don’t have any mixed feelings. I’m just excited about my future with the Pistons.”

On joining the Bulls’ Central Division rival: “The Bulls and Pistons always have had a great rivalry. It will be exciting going against [the Bulls], especially here because this is one of the best sports towns anywhere. I’m definitely going to miss the fans. But being on the other side will be fun too”

On Pistons’ GM Joe Dumars: “Joe’s passion for winning is really evident when you speak to him. He has such a competitive edge to him. And he has a knack for putting together really good teams. “He’s a proven winner whose only priority is to win titles. That’s my ultimate goal too. I feel fortunate where the guy at the top [again] feels just as passionate about winning as I do.”

On his Bulls legacy: “I’m sure there are fans with mixed emotions. Some will remember me positively. Some will remember me negatively. One thing I hope they remember me for is being professional, competing hard and never giving up on the game. I just always tried to help my team win.”

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Whoa! Both are moving rapidlytoward deals with the Pistons?! That sounds awfully set-in-stone-ish to me. I thought BG wanted to remain a Bull? Of course, money could very well rule the day. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that Dumars is expected to make Gordon an offer “in the neighborhood of $50 million over five years.” I can’t see the Jerry Reinsdorf matching that offer. But hey, here’s some good news: The Bulls extended a qualifying offer to retain or match on Aaron Gray. (The offer is worth just over $1 million, fully guaranteed.) So you can go ahead and erase that entry off your Worry Board.

Even if the Bulls do end up losing Gordon to the Pistons, it’s okay. After all, Ben just gave Dime Magazine the blueprint for his step-back jumper. Vinny Del Negro can just have Derrick Rose, John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich and whoever else you want to name (except Tyrus Thomas) copy that, and the team will be good to go. Go ahead and wipe another entry off your Worry Board.

Update! According to David Kaplan of Chicago Now: “Outstanding NBA sources that I just spoke to with direct knowledge of the negotiations tell me that Ben Gordon is still in Detroit as of 3:31 p.m. CST. In addition, he has told friends that he will call John Paxson and Gar Forman to offer the Bulls a chance to match Detroit’s offer which I am being told will be for roughly 50 million over 5 years but could creep a little higher if that is what it takes to keep the Bulls from matching. Stay tuned…”

Stay tuned indeed.

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