Fantasy Basketball Roundtable: Biggest Free-Agent Busts

Categorized as: Author: Patrick, Fantasy Basketball Roundtable
Posted on: March 7th, 2010

This week’s fantasy basketball roundtable was hosted by Brian Spencer of Empty the Bench. He wanted to know:

Who’s the biggest bust of last summer’s free-agent class, and what will it take for him to turn it around next season?

Joining the discussion this week are:
Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench
Tommy Beer: Hoopsworld
Ryan Lester: Lester’s Legends
Patrick Madden: Give Me the Rock

You can read the entire post over on Empty the Bench. Here is my response to that question:

The Pistons have two of the most disappointing free agent signings from the summer of 09 in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Choosing which one has been more disappointing this year is like choosing which one of your children is a bigger failure at life. That being said, Gordon did have slightly higher expectations going into this season (he was drafted at 60.3 in the average ESPN fantasy league compared to 79.6 for Villanueva) and is getting paid $20 million more than Charlie V. So Ben Gordon it is.

Other than the first few weeks of the season when Rip Hamilton was hurt, not much has gone right for Gordon this season. He’s missed 19 games with ankle and groin injuries and has struggled to find both his shot and his role with the team since returning from injury. In last night’s game against the Celtics, for example, Gordon finished 2 of 8 from the floor with 8 points in 26 minutes and was taken out of the game after Nate Robinson torched him for 14 points in 15 minutes on the court.

There are a number of factors affecting Gordon’s game this season: the injuries of course, but also Coach John Kuester’s inconsistent rotations and Gordon’s own subpar defense. However, I think Gordon’s problems can basically be boiled down to this fact: the Pistons don’t need Ben Gordon as long as they have Rip Hamilton, who fills the same role as Gordon and is still a better player than him even at 32. As I read the other day, it is tough for Gordon to get involved in the Pistons’ offense when it consists of them running screens for Hamilton. Add in the fact that he plays alongside two scoring point guards and you have a situation where Gordon has the ball in his hands a lot less than he did in Chicago. And that’s when his defensive deficiencies begin to catch up with him.

What can Gordon do to turn things around? Well, maiming Rip Hamilton would be a start. Nothing serious, a pipe to the knee should be enough. But seriously, Ben Gordon’s future is directly influenced by Hamilton. The Pistons have made some rumblings about trading Rip this offseason and – if they were smart – that is exactly what they’d do. If Hamilton goes, then Ben Gordon is in for a bounce back season and should be on everyone’s sleeper lists come October. If not, then Gordon might be on track to become one of the great free agent busts of recent history.

Previous Roudtable Discussions:
- Change is a Good Thing in Fantasy Hoops
- Where will LeBron, Wade, and Bosh Play Next Season?
- Which NBA Team is the Least Fantasy Friendly?
- Iverson or McGrady in Fantasy Hoops?

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