It seems as though we have a Ben Gordon to the Pistons rumor.
Sam Smith,who’s been writing for and about the Bulls for quite some time says the Pistons have promised Ben Gordon 11 million dollars.
“I haven’t heard they are, and General Manager Gar Forman has not come off his stance that he wants to bring Gordon back. But I also heard that Gordon’s agent allegedly has been saying he has an $11 million promise from the Pistons.
This could go with the promise I received to play giving me a chance to win the lottery. I’ve never fully understood the supposed Pistons interest. Not because teams don’t like Gordon. But because the Pistons have Rodney Stuckey, not a true point guard, and Richard Hamilton. Though the rumors supposedly are the Pistons would trade Hamilton. Though why trade a 6-7 shooting guard to accommodate one maybe a half foot shorter? Though I never say never in the NBA, as Phil Jackson taught me. And Michael.” Via Bulls Blog
As for the Rip Hamilton mention, it’s been whirling around that Detroit is shopping Rip. Though all this is just speculation and rumor, I keep hearing that Rip is on the block.
While I’m not sure Ben Gordon is the ansewer, he’s(26) a lot younger than Rip (32). If the Pistons are trying to build young, this may have some truth to it.
UPDATE:
Our good friend Dave Dial over at MLive makes an interesting point:
“One more reason that could be the one that would tip the scales in favor of replacing Hamilton with Gordon is that Joe Dumars could use Rip as an asset in a trade to grab a big man that the Pistons will need next season.
Hoops World points out that it’s not legal for the Pistons to contact Gordon or his agent until after July 1st, but theorizes that Dumars may have had conversations last summer while Gordon was a restricted free agent and looking for a raise.
What’s not clear in Smith’s report is if the ‘promise’ is for a contract starting at $11 million dollars(doubtful) or if it will average $11 million dollars over the course of 5 seasons. If it’s the latter, and that seems most likely, then the contract would start out at under $9.5 million dollars. In that case Joe Dumars would still have enough cap space to sign another big name free agent, and then could make a trade involving Rip Hamilton.”
UPDATE:
Our Pistons insider Matt Dery of 97.1 The Ticket just shot me this email.
“I talked to a Pistons source today who told me that they are denying this story about Ben Gordon and they add that it is illegal.. and not how it works.”
We know it’s illegal, but something tells me this one might be true. Stay tuned.
June 17, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Gordon’s know as a streaky shooter for no damn reason, to be honest. Last season, Gordon had 40 games where he shot 45% or less in 82 games played. In other words, he shot less than 45% 48.8% of games played. While that may seem like a high number, check this out:
Richard Hamilton – 36 games (67 games played) or 53.7% of games played.
Kobe Bryant – 35 games (82 games played) or 42.7% of games played.
Joe Johnson – 44 games (79 games played) or 55.7% of games played.
So he’s not nearly as “streaky” as people make him out to be.
June 17, 2009 at 11:52 pm
While I am not thrilled at this rumor, Rip is only going to decline from here until the end of his career. It would be wise to go out and get a young guy for Rip while we can. I love him, but we have to forge ahead now. The Pistons team we grew to love is over.
June 18, 2009 at 12:26 am
These are all quite amusing to read. I’d would like to say first no way is Memo coming back. I’d love him back too, but dont see it.
Not sold on Bosh. Never have been. His numbers are good but Boozer makes more sense. As far as Boozers injury problem, well they said the same about McDyess.
Def not sold on Ben Gordon or trading RIP for that matter. I’m going to throw a wild one out there. How about trading Tay (whose stock will never be higher for us) for Oden..Yes Greg Oden. Obviously I dont know if the numbers could work or what other pieces would have to be in place. Would have to check out espns trade machine or ask Matt at DBB.com. He is into the numbers game aint he Nat?
I think the trade makes Portland and Detroit better. Portland will have an iron man/defender for Kobe. Plus they have to resign Aldridge and Roy. Not sure Oden is in their future plans. But what do I know.
June 18, 2009 at 2:23 am
As a Bulls season ticket holder for the past 5 years, I’ve seen Ben Gordon up close for a long time. If you trade for him, you have to do it without thinking that he will be anything more than a backup guard who can give you a blast of points if he is on. But he comes with a price: turnovers, dominating the ball, abysmal defense, no sense of ball movement. If you think you can make him a starter, you will be disappointed. Rip is a far superior player to Gordon, but of course not without his own issues. Bottom line is that there isn’t a lot on the market right now. If I were Joe, I wouldn’t pull the trigger to get the best of what is available in what is going to be a crap free agent year.
June 18, 2009 at 6:51 am
I like bg scoring ability, but there are so many other options out there. This is what i would prefer to do: Amir, cash and our #15 pick for the top 3 pick in draft and/or throw in Rip (select Thabeet, rubio or big man). Prince for bosh. David Lee and ariza as free agents and turkoglu as a great facilitator and shooter. I do like millsap to go along with Lee as a back up to the longer and more offensively gifted bosh. Resign dice as a solid vet off the bench. Kwame keep as a situational starting center, afflalo, bynum #3 pick and 1 of 2 2nd round picks (wing or big man) on the bench (use the other 2nd round pick in a trade). I know u give up prince and rip, but you have establish veterans that can score and create in Bosh and turkoglu, hard workers in Lee, Ariza, promising young talent in #3 pick and your 2nd round pick, decent bench in tweener maxiell, steady dice and solid bynum, as well as afflalo.
June 18, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Isn’t Gordan notoriously streaky? Isn’t that the reason he comes off of the bench. I don’t know – I’m asking.
June 18, 2009 at 3:20 pm
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59899/20090618/gordon_denies_detroit_rumors/
i hope its just a rumor
June 18, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Won’t we have the same problem of an AI/Stuckey backcourt with a BG/Stuckey backcourt? Sorry, but people were trying to justify the trade for AI by saying how good we would become offensively, but that didn’t work because AI didn’t play defense.
Stuckey’s the best on-ball defender the Pistons have, but I don’t like the look of him with BG.
Joe D, get away from the idea that we need great offensive players – use your cash to get great defenders and defense will lead to offense.
DON’T TRADE PRINCE!!!!!
June 18, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Agreed with Richie, caps lock are juvenile and a cry for attention.
June 18, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Small ball again?
June 19, 2009 at 5:12 am
yeah, Detroit usually prouded itself on D, don’t go away from it, but defense is a team not one man, everybody needs to do it…I’ll bet Gordon won’t do it
June 19, 2009 at 7:51 am
No Ben Gordon!
June 19, 2009 at 11:05 am
I mean it’s obvious to me of what Dumars has been “trying” to do with the Pistons. When you look at the whole Iverson/Billips trade his plan seemed to be that 3 guard rotation once again and if it didn’t work, then you are free to try again next season, along with enough cap space to go after a missing big man piece.
So if you remember, originally they started AI at the PG position. Stuckey is a combo guard as Joe Dumars has stated. So Stuckey was originally intended to fill the Vinnie Johnson role and AI was expected to fill the Isiah Thomas role. Then we learned through experience that AI was just not going to work out as the PG and be able to run the offense.
Plan 1:
AI= Isiah Thomas (Starting PG with 1on1 dribble penetration and the ability to hit the 3)
Rip= Joe Dumars (Most reliable perimeter shooting SG)
Stuckey= Vinnie Johnson (Combo Guard who can score coming off the bench)
Plan 1 didn’t work because AI could not run the offense and handle the PG responsibilities needed, like Isiah Thomas did in the past.
Plan 2: Run with a small line up.
Stuckey= Isiah Thomas (Starting PG with 1on1 dribble penetration and the ability to hit the 3)
AI= Joe Dumars (Most reliable perimeter shooting SG)
Rip= SF
Bynum= Vinnie Johnson (Combo Guard who can score coming off the bench)
Obvious problems here…..not with the guard rotation in regards to scoring, but the defense puts you at major disadvantages in regards to defensive match ups, both with the PF/SF positions and the guard positions.
Plan 3:
Stuckey= Isiah Thomas (Starting PG with 1on1 dribble penetration and the ability to hit the 3)
AI= Joe Dumars (Most reliable perimeter shooting SG)
Rip= Vinnie Johnson (Combo Guard who can score coming off the bench)
This was made, just due to the path of least resistance. They knew there where going to be problems in trying to make AI happy in getting him to accept a role of coming off the bench and Rip really isn’t a combo guard. So they decided to throw it out there and see what happened. It worked at 1st, but AI was not the reliable perimeter shooter, to be able to spread out the floor and it was not a good defensive match up with teams that had bigger guards.
Plan 4:
Stuckey= Isiah Thomas (Starting PG with 1on1 dribble penetration and the ability to hit the 3)
Rip= Joe Dumars (Most reliable perimeter shooting SG)
AI= Vinnie Johnson (Combo Guard who can score coming off the bench)
The best matching scenario…….only thing AI was a b*tch, and could not accept coming off the bench. Too much ego to set aside. This lasted a total of what….2 games?? So in all the plans…..AI seemed to be the weakest piece of the recipe in 1 form or another.
EXIT AI…..ENTER Ben Gordon….let’s try it again and see if these ingredients blend better.
2009-2010 Season Plan 1:
Stuckey= Isiah Thomas (Starting PG with 1on1 dribble penetration and the ability to hit the 3)
Rip= Joe Dumars (Most reliable perimeter shooting SG)
Ben Gordan= Vinnie Johnson (Combo Guard who can score coming off the bench)
June 19, 2009 at 11:54 am
you are looney for comparing these guards with the bad boy guards and you forget we got Curry not Daddy Rich
June 19, 2009 at 9:42 pm
why pick up BG and trade rip? why not trade rip, get a big, move Stuck to SG and start Bynum? then Get a solid true PG in the draft (if there’s any), and trade amir and tayshaun for a three point specialist, like hedo turkuglo, and some change, then resign McDyess.
And also, get Laimbeer’s ass on the Piston’s bench
June 19, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Also, let’s face it. Rip’s been unhappy since CB got traded. So he’s not needed in Detroit. But we can’t replace him with someone we don’t need as well, like BG. Besides, we have two solid SG in our roster, Afflalo and Stuckey.
June 20, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Sources indicate that the Pistons have promised B.J. Mullens that they will take him with the fifteenth pick if he is available, according to NBADraft.net.
June 20, 2009 at 11:02 pm
i like that idea, cause maybe they could get thabeet at 5
June 20, 2009 at 11:09 pm
best thing ive read so far
June 20, 2009 at 11:11 pm
right u are, y does everyone forget about afflalo? he is solid , defending and 3 point shotand bynum is going to be good as well
June 20, 2009 at 11:12 pm
really i hope not, can u sat greg oden 2.0?
overrated
June 20, 2009 at 11:12 pm
say
June 21, 2009 at 2:00 pm
This should calm lots of rip fan down..I heard from the bull org. they are trying to get rid of some Jones player on the bulls.So they can resign Gordon..I sure hope They dont get rid of Rip..I still think Sheed should come off the bench like dysse, he would be DANGEROUS.He could punish evry teams secondary on the lo post ,makin it impossible to sub their big men, stay tuned Piston fans Ill have more info …peace!! and HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the dads..