Last summer, you had a hard time finding anyone who thought the Bulls were losing much when they let Ben Gordon get away.
Now, all of a sudden, it has become obvious to - of all people - even Scott Skiles that Gordon had certain skills not easily replaced.
After the Bucks' loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night, Skiles was discussing the return of Michael Redd when he came dangerously close to understanding Gordon.
"(Redd has) bought into the system we're trying to play. I liken it a little to having Ben Gordon in Chicago," Skiles said. "If a guy can score, you have to give them the freedom to take their shots and make their plays.
"On occasion a guy is going to take a bad one because he is feeling it or whatever. They have to have the freedom to do that."
Of course, that freedom didn't exist when Skiles would yank Gordon off the floor any time he took a shot Skiles didn't like.
Skiles helped his favorite player, Kirk Hinrich, get that big, five-year extension on Halloween 2006, worth $47.5 million, and Skiles helped create the anti-Gordon sentiment in Chicago.
Granted, Gordon wasn't going to win you an NBA title this year, but he would have helped win some games, and he would have helped down the road when the Bulls get that title-worthy roster they believe they can still build.
But if they were being honest, Bulls management types would have told you when they lost Gordon that they thought they didn't need him.
You wonder what they think now that they have a team that can't score.
Furthermore, the Bulls are a team without a true go-to guy in the clutch, and someone who can provide that instant, fourth-quarter offense.
Gordon was fearless, as all great shooters have to be, especially with the clock winding down.
He had his faults, lots of them, and we all know what they were, especially on defense, but he filled a role and served a purpose, for better and sometimes worse.
And today the Bulls simply have no one with the guts to take those shots down the stretch, so it's become apparent that they miss Gordon, even to those who didn't much like him.
Fearless gunners are hard to find, which is why they make lots of money, and why most teams don't let them get away.
It's just a bit funny that it took Gordon leaving for him to become so popular in Chicago.
