Get to the points

Whether you consider Ben Gordon's departure from the Bulls unfortunate or necessary -- or a combination of the two -- nearly everyone can agree on at least this much: Replacing Gordon's 20 points a game will be a challenge during the upcoming season. Sure, Gordon was one-dimensional and no better than mediocre at any aspect of the game other than scoring. Scoring, though, is the most important aspect of the game. Only 22 players in the NBA averaged more than Gordon's 20.7 points last season. The 6-2 guard also was the team's best clutch performer, averaging 24.3 points during the playoffs and hitting countless big shots during his five seasons in Chicago. The easiest way for the Bulls to fill the void left by Gordon agreeing to a five-year, $55 million deal with the Detroit Pistons would be by making a splash of their own in the free-agent market. PLENTY OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE Even though they already are over the salary cap, the Bulls can use the mid-level exception -- which should be at least $5.6 million -- to sign another guard. The unrestricted free agent that would be the best fit -- that the Bulls have a reasonable chance of getting -- would be Ronald ''Flip'' Murray. The 6-3 combo guard averaged 12.2 points for the Atlanta Hawks last season and would be a nice player to bring off the bench for a scoring spark. Rodney Carney, a 6-7 swingman, is another option. He averaged 7.2 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season and should be ready to step up his game after three years of experience. Carney was drafted by the Bulls in 2006 before being traded for Thabo Sefolosha. Anthony Parker probably is better known for being the older brother of Candace Parker, but he has made a name for himself as a pretty good shooting guard for the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 10.7 points last season and would be a nice fit for the Bulls' up-tempo style. Trevor Ariza is the best guard/swingman on the market, but he likely would be headed to a team ready to contend immediately for a title if he left the Los Angeles Lakers. But even though there are attractive free-agent options, it's doubtful the Bulls will sign anyone this summer to a multiyear deal for anywhere near the mid-level exception. BEWARE OF THE LUXURY TAX For starters, such a contract likely would push them over the luxury-tax threshold for this season and would cut into the salary-cap room they'll have next summer to sign free agents. So unless general manager Gar Forman can swing a major deal this summer for a star player like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire, the Bulls will have to make up for Gordon's loss with players already on the roster. Veteran Kirk Hinrich will end up picking up most of the slack. The truth of the matter is that he likely was headed out of town if Gordon was re-signed, so Hinrich's average will fill most of the void. The Bulls also will fill some of the void by having Luol Deng and John Salmons in the lineup together. Deng missed the final two months of the regular season and the playoffs with a stress fracture in his right shin, so Salmons took his spot. Now Salmons can take Gordon's spot at shooting guard. The rest of the void should come from the natural improvement of point guard Derrick Rose, who should be a more confident perimeter shooter. Even without Gordon, the Bulls still will be potent on the perimeter with Rose, Salmons and Deng in the starting lineup and Hinrich playing major minutes off the bench. They'll be better defensively, but it remains to be seen if that'll be enough to offset the loss of Gordon's array of three-point bombs and clutch shots. Ben Gordon FOR THREE Here's a look at Ben Gordon's top three performances during his five years with the Bulls : 1. PLAYOFF-HIGH 42 POINTS The lasting image most Bulls fans will have of Gordon is his sizzling performance in Game 2 of the series against the Celtics in Boston on April 20. The Bulls lost 118-115, but Gordon did everything in his power to try to lead the Bulls to a second straight road upset by going 14-for-24 from the field (6-for-11 on three-pointers) and scoring his team's final 12 points. 2. CAREER-HIGH 48 POINTS With the Bulls in the midst of a 49-win season, Gordon busted out for a career-high 48 points to lead the Bulls to a 126-121 comeback overtime win against the Bucks in Milwaukee on March 4, 2007. He went 18-for-32 from the field and was 6-for-12 from three-point range. He had 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls overcame an 18-point deficit. 3. A PERFECT NINE In the middle of the Bulls' six-game winning streak to close the 2005-06 season, Gordon, who had 32 points, went 9-for-9 from three-point range to lead the Bulls to a comeback 103-101 home victory against the Washington Wizards. The nine three-pointers tied the NBA record for the most in a game without a miss. "I didn't know how many threes I had, honestly,'' he said. "I didn't know I didn't miss. I was just out there letting them ride.'' John Jackson