Pippen said Ben Gordon has taken poor shots, is ''out there shooting for a contract'' and that ''taking bad shots is a sign of a lack of respect for your teammates.''

''You think I'm going to run back if I know B.J. Armstrong is jacking it up?'' Pippen said. ''My shot is just as good as his. That's what players think.''

''I don't really care what Scottie has to say,'' Gordon said. ''Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but it doesn't have anything to do with anything. One thing I realize in pro sports: When you're down, people shovel more dirt on you; when you're doing well, everybody wants to get on the bandwagon. So I'm just going to make everybody jump on the bandwagon.''

Pippen's assessment of Kirk Hinrich included this: ''He's not that talented. Let him run the offense. But you can't have midgets running your backcourt. Little guards always put you in a vulnerable position.''

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