By Joel Brigham (Hoopsworld)The Bulls are 27th in the NBA in points per game scored and have only topped 100 points once all season (a 101-87 road win over the Sacramento Kings). Derrick Rose and John Salmons are struggling, and no matter how well Joakim Noah and Luol Deng play it just hasn't been enough to fill up that score sheet.
In other words, this isn't working. Losing Ben Gordon officially hurts.
It's become clear that Chicago needs a legit three-point threat to keep defenders honest and prevent Rose from getting double-teamed every time he attempts a drive. Gordon could've been that guy, but probably not for $11 million a season the next five years. He's scoring well in Detroit, but his numbers are actually lower than they were last season in Chicago, and that's without having had to fight Rip Hamilton for minutes yet. Gordon is what the Bulls need, but they simply couldn't have paid him what the Pistons did. It just wouldn't have been wise.
So what, exactly, are the Bulls supposed to do?
Probably nothing, at least not for the rest of the season. But when it comes to this summer's free agency class there are some options and the Bulls will have some money to spend if they decide not to extend Tyrus Thomas (which is another discussion entirely).
Dwyane Wade or LeBron James would be a coup, obviously, but I don't think Chicago or anyone else is counting on them leaving their current teams. That puts Joe Johnson front and center in the Bulls' crosshairs—somebody just as offensively talented as Gordon with a bit more size and more ability on the defensive end. That's a player Chicago wouldn't mind spending their money on.
If not him there will be other, less expensive options to help spread the floor for Rose—Eddie House, Flip Murray, Mike Miller, Kyle Korver, J.J. Redick—but none of those players scream "Franchise Saver." They can look at Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, or (shudder) Tracy McGrady, but it's hard to say if any of those oft-injured players would be enough to convince the Bulls to give away Tyrus Thomas for nothing.
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