charity stripe wrote:
I wanted to make a point about the media, but wasn't sure where to post it.
When Gordon was in a 2 game slump after the 43 pt Miami game, both Sam Smith and KC wrote articles about it, talking about his streakiness.
But the last two games Hinrich is 1-12 and the last three games Salmons is 9-36. But there isn't much mention about that.
And this isn't about the players, I like both Salmons and Hinrich. Its about the media doing a poor job and using double standards.
It's pretty clear that Gordon is held to a much higher standard. I don't look at it as an "unfair" thing, but rather, it shows people's opinion on how good and how dominating Gordon can be, and is at times.
Nobody thinks Hinrich has the potential, nor will, become an all star. Salmons maybe, but its borderline.
When people look at BG, they saw a lot of potential and know that his ceiling has yet to be reached. I think this last year he has gotten much better with taking the ball to the hole and finishing strong. This is something I fully expect him to improve further upon for next year, and once folks start backing off in anticipation of him driving, thats when he is going to be able to dribble, stop and shoot with "Iverson like" effectiveness. Its the spacing that he will continue to improve upon creating, and that will allow him at 6'2'' to be dominant.
Point being that we can all see the "all-star" in Ben Gordon, the guy who you can pencil in for 20-23 ppg. Once he gets respect on his driving, that average can go up to 23-28ppg, putting him in an elite group in the NBA. And it's possible, BG has the capability to be that type of player.
So that is why he is judged so much harsher then the other guys. WE expect more out of him, know that he has the ability to be a perennial all star, but still needs to work on the defensive end of the game, and also improve his ability to drive and create his own shot. Its actually a compliment when you think about it, b/c I think Ben can still improve. Salmons and Hirich.....they can still improve on some things, but their ceiling is nowhere near Ben's.