Returning with Relief

The Bulls have needed wins in the worst way recently.  They got just those this past weekend against New Orleans and Orlando.  After Anthony Davis left with a shoulder injury, the Bulls proceeded to blow the Pelicans out of their own building.  Then, they nearly choked away a win over the Magic and would have for sure had Tobias Harris not blown a last-second putback attempt.

Miraculously, the Bulls finished their Frozen on Ice trip at 3-3 and are somehow one seed higher in the East (3rd) than they were when they left.  I don't like to say I can predict basketball because if I did, I would be working in Vegas.  Had I been a betting man, I might have lost money on how this road trip finished.

Recently, we've seen glimpses of Jimmy Butler's newfound stardom, Pau Gasol's consistent double-doubles, Derrick Rose's scoring and playmaking as well as what Tony Snell can do when given a chance.  We've even gotten to see Doug McDermott play coming off his recent injury.  Granted, it was at the end of a blowout, but hopefully, Tom Thibodeau will have more confidence in the rookie going forward.  It's tiring to see these nine-man rotations, so any change in strategy is welcome.

In any event, the Bulls need to understand that all these things are needed consistently if they want to win the championship this year.  And in today's NBA, it starts with finding the right balance between playing hard and playing smart.  More importantly, you can't take any big lead for granted because just about every team can come back.  So it's really a matter of bringing your game and not letting up.

I said recently that the Bulls needed to get to the All-Star break in the worst way, but maybe they just needed a couple of wins to get going.  Sacramento comes to the United Center on Tuesday and Cleveland arrives Thursday.  You have a team with coaching issues followed by the hottest club in the Central.

Based on the Bulls we've seen this year, it's easy to say they'll take it easy against the Kings and make a futile hard effort against the Cavaliers, who have won the first two meetings of the season.  They need to get back to looking at every opponent in the same fashion because winning when they should and losing when they shouldn't is frustrating to watch.  If they're not looking at it from the fan's perspective, they better start doing it now.  We're tired of getting our hopes up against sub-.500 teams only to be let down.

As we come ever closer to the second half of the season, let this be a time for the Bulls to examine where they are and how far they still have to go.  National writers and analysts still think this team is the one to beat in the East, so now is the time to back that up.  If you're not doing it for the media, do it for your fan base and yourselves.  The worst thing that can happen is for a talented team to come up short and look back on what might have been.

Since I made my last post, I've lost my dear grandfather whom I referred as Pa Shunk.  Though he wasn't the biggest Bulls fan, he knew how I excited I was to watch them when they were winning championships.  He and my grandmother have always done their best to support me in this part of my life and it's a shame he won't be around to witness the rest of what could be a special Bulls season.  Any thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Frank Foys:  1931-2015