What's Going to Happen?

Is this run of turmoil ever going to end for the Bulls?  Even when it seems like they do things right, luck isn't even falling their way.  Joakim Noah gets called for offensive interference in Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets even though an earlier, closer call the other way isn't.  A four-point swing is all it takes for them the lose.  Thursday sees the return of Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson, so a win against the Portland Trail Blazers is almost a given, right?  Wrong.  They get swept in the season series against the team from Oregon.  And on top of that, Derrick Rose's uncertain return is coupled with the news that Rip Hamilton may miss the rest of the year with back spasms.

All these factors lead me to reach one conclusion:  fate is not on the Chicago Bulls' side.  As the Miami Heat continue to pile up victories, the Bulls are only collecting questions.  This has gone beyond just a bump in the road.  With each passing day, they're getting farther away from home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and closer to likely being bounced by Indiana or Miami as a seventh or eighth seed.  They sit in the sixth spot in the East now, but they have the same record as Boston.  I've conceded the Central to the Pacers and am more worried about regaining the fourth seed, which is getting tough with so few games remaining.  If they're going to make a move in the standings, it has to come now.

That move won't be easy however.  Two of their next three games are against the top two East teams.  The Pacers invade the United Center Saturday.  After a quick trip to Minnesota the following day, the Heat will be in Chicago.  Whether we see Derrick Rose in any of those games is kind of a moot point now.  The Timberwolves are kind of a wash, but the Heat and Pacers have to be licking their chops at their upcoming games.  One can put the final dagger on the division race while the other can continue a historic streak if it survives until then.  The last thing you want is to face teams with increasing momentum, but the Bulls have no choice.

It hasn't been this frustrating to watch the Bulls in some time now.  If there's a plus side, it would have to take a monumental collapse in the final few weeks to miss the playoffs.  That looks good on any team's resume.  To be seeded so low however would be a disappointment after the team got off to such a nice start.  The season we're in looks destined to be remembered as one that wasn't looked highly on to begin with and turned out to be exactly that.  A healthy Derrick Rose would ideally change that, but so would Michael Jordan in his prime.  Neither looks probable right now.