Chicago's "Baby Bulls" Remain In Infancy

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The final horn had sounded, and while Boston Celtics fans knew they had to regroup for an even more challenging second round match, the Chicago Bulls could only stare into space knowing that their season was over.

Sure, they played at a very high level.

Sure, they shocked the world and made this a series to remember. 

Sure, they came close to knocking out the defending world champions.

They didn't.

For all the good news and silver linings that Chicago fans can tell themselves, the Bulls still were unable to finish the job and win a significant series, in what would probably have been the team's biggest win in the post-Jordan era

Now, obviously there are excuses.

Chicago was without Luol Deng, but of course, Boston was without Kevin Garnett.

Chicago had a few shots go the wrong way and cost them a chance, but then again, so did Boston.

And Chicago is full of young and inexperienced players, while Boston is full of veterans with championship experience.

Even the coaches have a major experience gap. Chicago's Vinny Del Negro is a first-year head coach who was a radio commentator just three years ago. 

Boston's Doc Rivers has coached 10 years, including 55 playoff games.  He truly did a commendable job of keeping the Celtics spirits high when Garnett went down and the Bulls refused to give in.

So with all this young talent and a close call in the postseason, Chicago must be destined for good things in the future.

Right?

Well, I wouldn't be so sure.

Taking a look at Chicago's history might just prove the audacity of hope for Bulls fans.

In the 2004-05 season, Chicago reached the playoffs for the first time since Jordan's departure with the introduction of rookie and Sixth Man of the Year winner Ben Gordon.

Gordon and Deng came in through the draft and Chicago did a good job of bringing in a good energy player in Andres Nocioni.

Those "Baby Bulls" earned the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and captured the first two games at home against Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards before dropping four straight.

Next season, Chicago once again snuck into the playoffs and this time faced off against Dwyane Wade and the second-seeded Miami Heat.

The Bulls may have lost the series 4-2 but there were two definitive silver linings.

1. Miami went on to win the NBA title, proving that Chicago had faced the stiffest challenge possible.

2. Chicago had lost the first two games by a combined 12 points.  If the Bulls had just finished a little stronger, they could have changed the course of the playoffs (and Mark Cuban would be a far happier man today).

Surely that experience would pay dividends next season.

Many people began to job on the Chicago bandwagon. Rumormongers realized that Chicago needed just one more piece to get it over the hump.

Maybe even the increasingly disgruntled Kobe Bryant would opt to come to Chicago.

Instead, Chicago got Ben Wallace, and the fanfare began.

Wallace and his inside presence would complement the growing guard tandem, and the Bulls were becoming a relevant franchise once more.

The "Baby Bulls" became the trendy pick.

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