What Lawrence Frank must do at the Detroit Pistons? NBA Special Report - Part 4
Accommodate Ben Gordon
Lawrence Frank will quickly realize that probably the current best player in his side has been a woeful misfit. Ben Gordon is the most potent offensive weapon the Pistons posses at present, at least in my view. Tracy McGrady is
a shadow of his former self while TayShaun and Hamilton are not the same anymore. The rest of the talent is still raw, still young.
McGrady and Prince have also been in the loop of some high profile teams. In the last few weeks there had been reports that the likes of Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were interested in acquiring the services of the two veterans.
Heat require steel on their backcourt and on the perimeter, while the Bulls desperately need somebody to stand up and provide some relief to their ace point guard and at present the only scoring outlet of the Windy City franchise, Derrick Rose.
The move also makes some sense as for the players, in the twilight of their careers; the switch will provide an opportunity to get a shot at glory with the big boys of the Eastern Conference. For the Pistons, their move will open
the flood gates for the young core of the team.
Among those player, Ben Gordon stands head and shoulders above others.
Gordon is at his prime, and he is kind of wasting away in motor city. The player was probably given a contract that his talent didn’t justify, that true. However that doesn’t mean he is a bad player. Gordon is a good enough player,
someone who can make a big difference for this transitioning Pistons team.
Lest someone forgets, Gordon was top dog at the Chicago Bulls for a long period of time. He showed whilst in Chicago that he can be a reliable scorer, leading the team in points for four seasons. Gordon didn’t become a bad player
overnight. He still has ability and a great attitude.
He just needs to find his groove. Lawrence Frank would do well to define a clear role for the guard, which I feel is off the bench. Gordon, if playing to his potential, can give a team 20 points on average. He is also great professional
and team player, which translates to the fact that he will be willing to come off the bench.
His size puts the coach in a difficult position because he is somewhere between a point guard and a shooting guard. However that is all the more reason for a bench role. If shrewdly used and given significant time on the floor,
Gordon can become the weapon X for Detroit.
Who wouldn’t want a player coming off the bench to contribute 20 a game? With McGrady, Tayshaun and Hamilton still on their books, using Gordon from the bench also makes sense in terms of keeping harmony in the side.
If Frank can sort that out, it would go a long way in making the Pistons successful again.
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