Ira Winderman still needs an editor

by Paxson Jackson on Apr 27, 2007 12:07 PM CDT Comment 21 comments

The blogosphere's one sentence paragraph answer to Bill Plaschke, Ira Winderman on Ben Gordon:

Among the more curious aspects of this opening-round series against the Bulls is the respect the Heat has afforded Ben Gordon.

Granted, the Bulls guard is a capable scorer with an innate ability to go on streaks.

But last time we checked, Gordon finished the regular season with a 21.4 average, 19th in the league.

Yes, Gordon deserves attention. But it should not be all-consuming attention.

Gordon finished the season 14th in PTS/40 at 25.9.

I don't think it really matters who the Heat focus on defensively.

Their perimeter players struggle to guard anyone.

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was not NJ doubling Gordon on the wing?

I thought that worked for NJ well.

I have a long name and I look for UFO's while I drive.

by joejoeEnglish94bulls4ever on Apr 27, 2007 12:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

it did,

and even hobbled, old Jason Kidd can still defend Gordon 1-on-1. Hobbled Jason Williams, and old Eddie Jones haven't had much luck. New Jersey is just a lot faster as a team than Miami.

by Paxson Jackson on Apr 27, 2007 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

but I basically agree with his point. They were so hell-bent on stopping Gordon that they have let Deng have his way with them. The thing they don't realize is that Kirk is going for 29 points tonight.

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Apr 27, 2007 12:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The thing about Gordon

he's just as likely to be held to 10 as he is to score 30, it depends on how well he's guarded. And typically, if you stop Gordon, the Bulls generally don't make up those all of those points because Gordon's TO/Ast ratio is so poor. The fact that he's scored so much on the Heat shows how old and slow they are.

by bullshooter on Apr 27, 2007 12:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think

that the Bulls go as Gordon goes: I think Hinrich is a more accurate barometer. Also, he's had some terrible games when he's been poorly defended (where he just misses everything) and he's had good games when he's been well defended (when he's hitting everything). I kind of a agree that the Heat's top defender shouldn't stick to Gordon and should focus on Deng.

Oh wait... the Heat don't HAVE a top defender.

Hinrich: The second coming of Stockton, minus the short shorts.

by Chalkwhite on Apr 27, 2007 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree sort of

How Hinrich does on D is more indicative. If he can't stop the other teams best offensive guard, the Bulls are in for a long night. Then it is up to Gordon to outscore the other guy.

by bullshooter on Apr 27, 2007 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Possibly

I feel like, everything else being equal, I'll take a bad game from Gordon over a bad game from Hinrich. But I can understand, considering Game 1, the opposing viewpoint.

Hinrich: The second coming of Stockton, minus the short shorts.

by Chalkwhite on Apr 27, 2007 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the most encouraging thing

so far is that the Bulls can withstand a bad game from one of their guys and still win.

by bullshooter on Apr 27, 2007 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

How do you stop him though?

His shots are very difficult to defend.

I have a long name and I look for UFO's while I drive.

by joejoeEnglish94bulls4ever on Apr 27, 2007 12:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

who? Gordon's?

by bullshooter on Apr 27, 2007 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

no Ben Wallace...

yes Gordon's shots are like 30 foot rainbows.

I have a long name and I look for UFO's while I drive.

by joejoeEnglish94bulls4ever on Apr 27, 2007 12:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ironically (I believe this is a correct usage)...

Ben Wallace's shots are 10-ft long, 30-ft high rainbows.

by tyger1147 on Apr 27, 2007 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've never been able to figure out why Ben Wallace

shoots so poorly during games, especially at the free throw line.

His form isn't terrible. Nor is his release.

If you come to the stadium right when the gates open, you'll see Wallace on the court about an hour before the game shooting threes. He takes some from the corner, some from the top of the key, some from just inside half court. He always ends the session by takling a fadewaya three from the corner, then runnin into the tunnel. He hits a surprising number of those threes. I tried to keep track one day and found he was hitting at about a 30% clip during that particular session. That's nothing to write home about, but you would think that he would be able to shoot better from the free throw line than he does.

It also perplexes me that he misses so many layups during games. He doesn't look uncoordinated or clumsy when you watch him practice. In fact, it appears that he is relatively graceful and has soft hands. Odd.

by 1958ChiTown on Apr 27, 2007 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

30%?

30% from 3, ungarded, is horrible for an nba player. i'm sure gordon would do something like 70-80%.

by smegmatic on Apr 29, 2007 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have you ever played basketball?

Gordon shoots rainbows because if he didn't, most of his shots would be blocked. He's only 6 ft tall. Just about everybody on the court is taller than he is. His shot still gets deflected sometimes when he shoots those runners. And if he wasn't coming off of screens so much, he'd get blocked more, too.

by bullshooter on Apr 27, 2007 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

according to David Thorpe

(a while ago), he said Ben's jump shot is one of the best in the league because it's so high. Most pros shoot it too flat.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 27, 2007 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

exactly

I read that too, it's just simple physics. Geometry, actually. Also, I tend to shoot that way: it gives a better trajectory into the basket, makes the shot "softer" and more likely to go dead on the rim and roll in. And, yes, it also makes it easier to shoot over someone, but that, in my opinion, is a tertiary reason.

by GWKD on Apr 27, 2007 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

byproduct

the high arc is also just a byproduct of having really good form before shooting, with no extra motion thrown in there. If you think about it, all of the pure shooters---guys who only have one skill and little else, like Steve Kerr---have a high pretty high arc, with few exceptions. BG's is probably a little more pronounced than most.

by GWKD on Apr 27, 2007 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs