Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls: Top 15 draft picks in franchise history

By Jason Patt

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JUNE 11: Michael Jordan #23 hugs teammate Scottie Pippen #33 of the Chicago Bulls following Game Five of the 1997 NBA Finals played against the Utah Jazz on June 11, 1997 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 90-88. Ahmad Rashad tries to get an interview for NBC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JUNE 11: Michael Jordan #23 hugs teammate Scottie Pippen #33 of the Chicago Bulls following Game Five of the 1997 NBA Finals played against the Utah Jazz on June 11, 1997 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 90-88. Ahmad Rashad tries to get an interview for NBC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1997 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 15
Next
Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls
(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. SG. UConn. 12. player. 24. Pick Analysis. Ben Gordon

The Bulls were a hot mess in the immediate aftermath of Michael Jordan’s second retirement. They missed the playoffs six consecutive times and finished with a winning percentage of .280 or worse in five of those seasons. Chicago’s fortunes changed in 2004-05, thanks in part to Ben Gordon.

The Bulls went 23-59 in 2003-04, giving them the No. 3 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Chicago made Gordon the pick after an outstanding career at UConn, and he immediately made an impact upon his arrival in the NBA.

Gordon averaged 15.1 points in 24.4 minutes per game in his rookie season as the Bulls went 47-35 to return to the playoffs. The 6-foot-3 guard became the first rookie ever to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year, earning a spot on the All-Rookie first team in the process. He became known for his clutch heroics that season by posting 21 double-digit scoring performances in the fourth quarter. Only LeBron James had more.

Gordon continued his impressive scoring exploits throughout his five years in Chicago. In his second season, he tied an NBA record by hitting nine consecutive 3-pointers in a game. He put up a career-high 21.4 points per game in his third season, a year in which he also scored a career-high 48 points in a game. He had a 42-point game in the Bulls’ thrilling seven-game classic against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2009 playoffs.

Chicago let Gordon walk after that incredible series when the Detroit Pistons offered a lucrative five-year contract. His career went downhill almost immediately, and he was never able to get back to the production of his Bulls days.

While things went south after Chicago, Gordon deserves a lot of credit for getting the Bulls out of their doldrums. He put up 18.5 points per game and shot 41.5 percent from 3 as a Bull, and the team went to the playoffs in four of his five seasons in Chicago.

Home/Bulls All-Time Lists