Chicago Bulls 2009 Preview: Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich: Captain Kirk they call him. Sorry, more like Captain Kangaroo (I don't know, I was just watching Pulp Fiction again for 1000th time last night). I used to be the most loyal Kirk Hinrich supporter. I was the guy arguing how his impact on the team couldn't be adequately shown by his stat sheet. He was the guy doing the little things: tough defense, rebounding, leadership, etc. You know all those things that either make one sound like Scottie Pippen (one of the best all around basketball players of all time) or Randy Brown (a poor basketball player whose claim to fame is that he played with "heart"). Unfortunately, Kirk's more Randy Brown than Scottie Pippen. Heck, I would take Steve Kerr right now, instead of Kirk's recent basketball display.

After several years, here is what we know about Kirk. 1. He reached his potential in year 2 and hasn't improved since then. If anything, he's regressed. 2. He's constantly getting called for small tacky fouls not because he plays great defense, but because he's constantly getting beat of the dribble causing him to pick up silly fouls. This second point is the biggest urban myth with Hinrich. Contrary to what Johny Red Kerr might say, Kirk's not a good defender. He plays hard, but constantly gets beat by quicker guards and can't handle the bigger ones. 3. Worse, he's not that good of a shooter. True, he has a great looking shooting form. The kind that makes you think every shot he takes should go in. But here's the thing, they usually don't. I can't recount how many times I've yelled at the screen after Kirk misses a wide open jumper or three. Seriously, you are a slow white point guard, you need to at least consistently hit the three pointer. 4. I'm sick of his whining. He cries like a baby after everyone one of his stupid fouls. 5. Finally, he's tooooo small. Not height wise, but strength wise. Have you noticed that he looks the same as he did when he entered the league? This is your f'n job, lift some weights and get bigger so you can play the bigger guards. Steve Nash looks ripped. Kirk looks like a high-school marching band drummer.

Alright. Enough bashing. Kirk does play hard all the time. Its not that he's loafing around out there. In his defense, he's typically playing the other team's best guard because Ben Gordon couldn't play defense if he had the entire US National Guard at his disposal. But to me, heart alone isn't enough to win games in this league.
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Mental: B (Always trying no matter the score, but I think his constant whining on foul calls messes up his game)
Physical: C- (too slender, not strong or quick enough to excel in the league).
Skill Set: B (Good dribbler, but too inconsistent of a shooter)
Will to win: Above average.
Potential: Poor (He reached his potential in year 2 and regressed).
Overall Grade: C+