I'm just glad the series is over.
This is no dis to the Philadelphia 76ers and the remaining members of the Chicago Bulls, but watching those two teams play basketball for six games was enough for me. That series was as an excruciating of an experience as I can remember when it comes to playoff series are concerned. The 76ers were just mediocre enough to squeak out four wins as the Bulls partook in what seemed to be a real life demolition derby.
There's one question for both the Bulls organization and the fans that support them must be prepared to answer: Where do the Bulls go from here?
Three things to ponder...
1) Derrick Rose isn't going to be healthy until at least the end of the 2013 season. If he's capable of returning for the 2013 NBA playoffs, do you even risk playing him? If the answer is no, then...
2) Do the Bulls go out and get a PG rental? Could a player like Jason Kidd or Steve Nash be up for consideration to run the show while Rose rehabilitates?
3) Do you use the Amnesty Clause to improve the roster overall? Sometimes they say less is more, but in this case amnestying (is that a word?) Carlos Boozer's max contract could free up money to re-sign key players (Asik, Gibson) and bring in some additional pieces. Asking the owner to eat $47 million over the next three years is a lot, but so is the fleeting chance of winning an NBA title.
Here is your pertinent T.G.I.F. reading material for the day, flourish and prosper.
Washington Post: Redskins unveil throwback unis at 80th anniversary celebration
NBC Chicago: Three reasons Bulls fans should be upset about the Game 6 loss
SB Nation KC: Ben Roethlisberger Likens Todd Haley's Playbook To Rosetta Stone
ESPN: Harold "The Show" Arceneaux travels the globe for hoops
College Basketball Talk: Louisville wants out of the Big East
Scoop Jackson: Floyd Mayweather Jr. should stop fighting
FOX Deportes: Is boxing all Junior dos Santos needs to beat Frank Mir?
ClipperBlog: A Culture of Complaining
Smoking Section: The Natives – “Waiting” (Toro Y Moi Cover)
Players Perspective: Terrell Pryor Gives Insight Into the Cold Business of the NCAA
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”
