NBA Trade Deadline: Why the Chicago Bulls Look Like the NBA's Best Team

The NBA's trade deadline has now passed.  The Chicago Bulls now look like the top contender in basketball because no 'new' team helped themselves enough to become a true playoff contender. 

The myth of the blockbuster deadline trade has been around for a long time.  Every year, NBA fans expect there to be a major deal that completely changes the NBA landscape.  Most of the time it just does not happen.

Oh, there are big deals and important trades, but few of them will have a profound mid-season impact and even fewer will set up an in-season title contender.

Look at this year's deadline.  The San Antonio Spurs added Stephen Jackson.  Jackson could be an important title piece but the Spurs were already contenders.  He is also a serious wild card.

The Spurs are hoping Captain Jack's previous success in San Antonio will motivate him, but there is no guarantee he will help them win that elusive fifth title.

The Washington Wizards made the biggest deal of the day, adding All-Star center Nene from Denver, for JaVale McGee (to Denver) and Nick Young (to the facilitating Clippers).  But the move will help the Wizards in 2013, not 2012.  And I am not ready to anoint Nick Young as "the missing piece" of anything, let alone the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Los Angeles Lakers added Ramon Sessions and Jordan Hill. Both are nice, young pieces, but will that be enough to bring another title to the Lakers.  I sincerely doubt it.

And, of course, the big Dwight Howard deal everyone expected did not happen.  In the biggest let-down moment of trading season, Howard signed away his early termination from Orlando and committed to 2013.  That gurgling sound you heard at the end was the long-awaited death of the New Jersey Nets.

In short, there are big trades but the big trade is super rare.  It just doesn't happen.  And that left the Bulls as the NBA's top contender for the rest of the season.

Sure, Miami remains more talented.  LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade are the NBA's best trio.  But Chicago is the deeper, more complete team with the players and veteran contributors to play through the big moments they failed in last season.  

Look at how the Bulls have played through health issues.  They beat Miami yesterday with young John Lucas III as their top scorer.  Come playoff time, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng will be fully healthy. NBA fans can just imagine how dangerous they will be then.

So it's onward to the playoffs.  The Bulls are the NBA's best team and fans just hope they can harness their talent and depth to get past the Heat and into the NBA Finals.