Little Ben is struggling, and Charlie V can't play D. To illustrate just how poorly Ben Gordon is shooting, check out this graph of Ben's 3pt shooting percentage by season:
Something in the Detroit water apparently does not agree with him. I should note that he began the season quite well. He was shooting 37% from 3pt land prior to his injury. He had a handful of dreadful shooting nights (1 for 16, 3 for 11) but otherwise lived up to his scorer's reputation. Since the injury, the dude has not been the same.
An optimist would say that gives us hope. While he's a shadow of his Bulls' self, a healthy Ben Gordon may return next season to give the Pistons some offensive punch. Last night, he was schooled by Nate Robinson who singlehandedly won the game for the Celtics. This cannot happen. Little Ben is a better player than his stats tell us, but I can't fault Kuester for not playing him. Since the injury, he just hasn't delivered.
I wish I could be so optimistic about Charlie V. He's giving about the same production as he normally gives. What you see is what you get. My thinking is that he (and Ben Gordon) need to be partnered with more effective defensive players. The current Bench Brigade of Bynum, Gordon, Maxiell, Charlie V, and Austin Daye has no defensive presence. The opposing benches outscore them every single night. Since Kuester is stuck with these players, he'll need to mix it up. Perhaps pair Ben Wallace with Charlie V... and Stuckey with Gordon. Mix and match the starters and bench as opposed to playing all five bench players at once.
This likely won't solve many problems this season, so Joe D will need to add a defensive presence in the offseason. I hear Tyson Chandler is available...
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