2011 NBA Playoffs: Why the Grueling First Round Will Benefit Rose and the Bulls

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls finished off the Indiana Pacers last night in a 116-89 drubbing, taking the series 4-1.

When you see the 4-1 series outcome, it may look like the Bulls had a walk in the park in the first round.

The truth is it was anything but.

Besides the 27-point win in Game 5, the Bulls' three other wins were by a combined 16 points. The Bulls only had the lead at halftime one time during the entire series.

Games like this build character, more so than if Chicago would have blown the Pacers out in every game, not giving the Bulls too much to worry about or adjust to.

All five games in the series were grueling and hard-fought. There were multiple technical fouls called throughout the series and the Pacers' Josh McRoberts frustration with having to deal with the very active and sometimes pesky Joakim Noah spilled over and he got himself ejected form Game 5.

Rose had to deal with a team focusing most of their energy to stop him, to which he played four great games and one decent game—when he injured his ankle in Game 3.

This one playoff series did more than the entire regular season was able to do as far as preparing the Bulls for a long playoff run.

Being able to pull out so many close wins in a week and a half gives those without playoff experience immediate confidence, and a sense of winning a four-game series is possible, even if you don't cruise to easy victories night after night.

As the Bulls await the winner of the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic series—the Hawks are up 3-2 and look to close-out the Magic in Atlanta on Thursday—Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer will have a little extra time to heal their minor injuries.

Rose has his sprained ankle to rest and Carlos Boozer has an injured toe to allow to heal during their time off—Boozer said he felt a pop in his right big toe during the first half of Wednesday night's game, x-rays were negative.

This will prove to be the first of many roadblocks the Bulls will have to face on the road to the their first championship in 20 years.

With Derrick Rose navigating them, the Bulls should arrive at their destination sometime in June.