A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Shooting Guard

Ben Gordon departed as a free agent this past offseason and he was the heart and soul of this team’s offense. Ben Gordon starting or coming off the bench was the team’s best shooting guard arguably since Michael Jordan. The Bulls have a big hole to fill in Ben Gordon leaving after being the Bulls primary scorer and clutch shooter since he was drafted in 2004. Last season Gordon averaged 20.7 for the Bulls and 18.5 PPG in his Bulls career. The big question is can anyone currently on the Bulls roster fill the shooting void he leaves.

The Chicago Bulls will look to John Salmons to take over the load of Ben Gordon. Salmons came to the Bulls last year in a trade from the Sacramento Kings. Bulls fans quickly learned that he can shoot while he filled in at small forward for the injured Luol Deng. Now with Deng coming back and Gordon gone, Salmons will move over and start at shooting guard. John Salmons averaged 18.3 PPG as a Bull last year in 26 games. Thus, he is capable of starting and carrying the offensive load. Salmons is a late bloomer though and is only averaging 8.8 PPG throughout his seven year career. So there is some uncertainly if he is capable of handling the load for an entire season.

Backing-up John Salmons is former Chicago Bull Jannero Pargo returning for his second stint with the team. Pargo was a Bull for three years from the 2003-2004 season to the 2005-2006 season. He came off the bench those three years like he will again this time around. After he left the Bulls he went to the New Orleans Hornets and established himself as a very good shooting guard off the bench. Last season he went and played in Europe for more money than he was offered here. Now he is back in the NBA and with the Chicago Bulls. I like the Bulls bringing back Pargo and think he will do well in the role he will have. I remember Pargo with his first stint with the Bulls and watched him with the Hornets. He is a short guard like Gordon and has a similar game. I like both shooting guards the Bulls have in John Salmons and Jannero Pargo. Both are not established though and don’t have much history in being consistent so they will need to come through and prove it.