After Forgettable Season, Chicago Bulls Look To Bigger, Better Things

As expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers made quick work of the Chicago Bulls, eliminating them in five games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. For the Cavs, this series was little more than a speed-bump on their road to a hopeful NBA Championship appearance.

The Bulls, on the other hand, saw this series as just a means to get more experience (and a national stage to showcase Derrick Rose?) in big-game, playoff atmospheres.

I'd be naive to think the Bulls had a chance to defeat the Cavs—they have that fella named LeBron James—but I am encouraged by the style and poise this team displayed during the last two weeks.

Going toe-to-toe with LeBron and company was not easy, but the Bulls managed to keep four games close (winning one of them) and extended the series.

As the season officially ends in Chicago, the Bulls embark on perhaps their most important offseason since the Jordan/Pippen/Jackson days.

This year's crop of free-agent talent is simply remarkable, and the Bulls need to attract at least one premier athlete to don the red-and-black and play in the House That Jordan Built.

There's a lot to like about the current Bulls' roster, but as we'll soon find out, there's also plenty to keep you up at night.

The Good

There is a legitimate superstar playing for the Bulls. 

Since Michael Jordan left town, this franchise has been dying for someone to take his place atop the Bulls' throne.

Derrick Rose won't shock anyone with his style, demeanor, and ego, but he'll do just fine as the new face of the Bulls' organization.

The reason?

He wants to win...no matter what.

Since his days at Simeon High School on Chicago's South Side, Rose has been a winner.

He won at Memphis—albeit briefly—and has been a winner with the Bulls (if you consider No. 7 and No. 8 seeds winners, of course).

Through all of these stops, Rose has stressed the winning aspect of his sport, and why that is what drives him to be the best. He attempts to inspire teammates through his actions, rather than in-your-face antics—and it seems to work at times.

With Rose, the Bulls have an All-Star already in place. But Batman needed Robin, and Rose needs LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, or any of the mega-star, soon-to-be free agents of the NBA.

Rose, however, can take comfort in knowing that he can play with some other promising Bulls in the meantime.

Joakim Noah, 25, turned into a double-double machine for the Bulls this season, and even though he won't run for mayor in Cleveland, he has cemented himself as a key Bull for 2010 and beyond.

Noah's intensity and passion for the game actually coincided with talent this season, and the result is enough to make any Bulls fan happy.  He won't be Dwight Howard, but he'll be good enough for now.

Noah got help in the front court from Taj Gibson, 24, a rookie from USC. Gibson was an after-thought of the Bulls' most recent draft class, but his maturity enabled the Bulls to deal away problem-child Tyrus Thomas and bring along fellow rookie James Johnson at a slower, more controlled pace.

Gibson's overall numbers (9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) might not scream out at you, but considering his draft status and position on the depth chart at the beginning of the year, this was more than anyone could have asked for.

In Rose, Noah, and Gibson, the Bulls have what appears to be a solid nucleus to build around.

Throw in Luol Deng—do you believe he's just 25-years-old?—and you can argue the Bulls have four pieces in place to make a run at the Eastern Conference Championship.

But, again, they'll need a fifth (and perhaps more) piece to be serious contenders.

The Bad

While it's easy to say, "Let's go sign LeBron and Wade!" it's just not realistic.

So please, Bulls fans, temper your expectations about this summer's free-agent bonanza.

Yes, the Bulls are in a good position to land a superstar, with enough cap room available for one max contract and the presence of Rose. Don't forget, however, this is a team with a head coach about to be fired, if recent reports are correct.

Vinny Del Negro was in many ways a temporary coach from the beginning, as the Bulls swung and missed on their main target, Doug Collins. After Del Negro's dust-up with his boss, John Paxson, you have to believe Del Negro will be packing his bags in a few days—and not just for the summer.

Del Negro did an admirable job with a young roster that lacked firepower, but he is not the coach you want leading your team to the promised land. He's too young, too inexperienced, and too normal.

Can you see a phenom like LeBron or Wade sticking it out with Del Negro at the helm?

When coaches like Avery Johnson are available, it makes sense to dump Vinny and swing for the fences again.

Derrick Rose has a very high ceiling, but he won't come close to reaching it with Del Negro calling the shots. (It took him up until recently to realize that Rose should have the ball in his hands as the clock wound down.)

More importantly, the Bulls won't reach their high ceiling, because they won't land the monster free agent that they crave.

The Ugly

Fast-forward to July 1, when free-agent contracts can be negotiated. The Bulls will be hot players at this time, and the NBA world will keep tabs on what Chicago is up to.

Let's say they land their Albert Pujols or Peyton Manning.

Great.

But what if it's a repeat of the NBA free-agent class of 2000, in which the Bulls were denied by Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Tim Thomas, and Rashard Lewis, among others?

That year, you'll recall, the Bulls were serious players to land one or two of those names, and bounce back to the hierarchy of the NBA—they even had marching bands greet McGrady and Hill at their airports upon arrival.

If a high school marching band doesn't get you, what in the world will?

I know that was a decade ago, and the NBA landscape has changed, but is it really out of the question to think the Bulls could be shut out again?

Maybe LeBron, already having the ability to get away with murder in Cleveland, stays with his hometown team.

Maybe Wade realizes the weather in Miami is significantly better than that of Chicago.

Maybe Bosh realizes Canada's free health care puts them over the top in a head-to-head battle with the United States—and they have better bacon.

If any or all of these scenarios happen, the Bulls will be left at the airport—again—with that stupid marching band.

The Bulls' future is as bright as it's been, but now is the time to strike it rich and land not only a mega-star free agent, but also a head coach that a mega-star free agent will actually play for.

Rose, Noah, Gibson, and Deng make for a solid core, but the man in the suit on the sideline could be the ultimate factor in whether or not the Bulls get their man (or men).

So, stick around, Bulls fans, because there's sure to be some excitement—for better or worse—in the next few months.