WHERE YOU AT, HINRICH?

by Noce, Chicago Bull

17 minutes, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3P, 0-0 FT, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 AST, 0 PTS.

Man, at $11,250,000 a year you'd think the Bulls would be able to squeeze a little more out of their veteran point guard.

Hinrich played one of the worst games in his four-year career last night against the Charlotte Bobcats, and that seems to be a recurring theme with him this year as he leads the Bulls into mediocrity. Up to this point I have always been a staunch Hinrich supporter, even after watching him commit a seemingly infinite number of bad fouls, whine to the refs and provide little guidance to a young team that would follow Helen Keller if only she could come back and lead them.

I always thought that Hinrich was the core of this young team, the engine that made it go. Now he looks more like the drunk driver behind the wheel of a car destined to end up torn to pieces.

A 34% field goal percentage is not worth $11 million dollars. Averaging only one more assist than turnover per game is not going to help your team win games. Hinrich should be the player that Skiles can count on to provide large chunks of productive minutes night after night. Lately it seems like Skiles doesn't even want Hinrich in the game when crunch time comes. I've often been critical of Chris Duhon because he's small and often takes bad shots but in three of the last five games Du has come off the bench to relieve Hinrich after Skiles gets fed up with Kirk's play.

Has Hinrich really gone from beloved to possibly gone in a trade? John Paxson certainly will not sit on his hands all year like he did last year, he's going to make a move at some point. The Bulls may appear to need help in all areas but point guard is the hardest position to up and change, due to the fact that the entire offense runs through the guy who handles the ball most.

Ben Gordon is not good enough to be the point guard, neither is Duhon. I thought Hinrich was but apparently he's pulling a Rex Grossman this year. Do the Bulls need a "Brian Griese" to come in and sub until Hinrich realizes what he's throwing away?

I sure hope Hinrich realizes what he's doing to the team and to the fans, because otherwise he's earning $11 million to complain to refs and sit on the bench. That doesn't sound like a captain's role to me.