Last playoff spot worth playing for
Even if the Bulls somehow win the rest of their regular-season games -- about as likely as season-ticket holders receiving a refund for games played to date -- they would fall short of preseason expectations.
With 30 games remaining, the best the Bulls could finish is 51-31. That's respectable but not enough to compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which the Bulls were expected to do.
Still, that doesn't mean they can't salvage anything this season. With a strong finish, the Bulls can rally for a playoff spot in the awful East and create some much-needed confidence heading into next season.
Sure, an extended postseason run is a longer shot than a half-court heave, but sneaking into the playoffs is better than the alternative -- an offseason spent wondering whether the team's young core simply had a bad year or was exposed as a fraud.
Although it might result only in a quick first-round ouster at the hands of the Boston Celtics, here are five keys to the Bulls turning things around when the NBA schedule resumes after the All-Star break:
Health matters
While the effort has improved in recent weeks, the losses continued to pile up because the team was so short-handed.
Luol Deng (left Achilles tendinitis) has been sidelined for four weeks, and Ben Gordon (sprained right wrist) has played in only two games in the last four weeks. Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, Joe Smith and Ben Wallace all missed time recently with injuries or illness.
That can't continue. Starting Wednesday night at New Jersey, the Bulls expect everybody back on the court at close to 100 percent.
Hocus focus
Although it's not possible, the players would be better off if they could erase all memories of the first 52 games. Deng and Gordon wouldn't remember that they foolishly turned down five-year deals that would have paid them each $10 million a season, and Hinrich wouldn't be concerned with living up to his new $11 million salary.
Everyone could focus on playing basketball and winning games. Imagine that.
Remember the titans
While the memories from this season are mostly bad, the Bulls need to remember their late-season pushes the previous three years that made them the most effective closers on TV this side of Kyra Sedgwick.
Those teams don't resemble the current group in any way. The Bulls' success then started on defense. They brought effort and energy every game, and that opened up things on offense.
A new commitment on defense would solve many of this season's problems.
Home cooking
The Bulls have been bad everywhere, but have been surprisingly bad at the United Center. Even though they have sold out every game and lead the NBA in attendance, they are 11-14 at the UC. That's four more home losses than all of last season.
The players need to change their approach. Instead of expecting to win because they're at home, they need to go out and win the winnable home games. Again, it mostly comes down to effort.
Youth movement
When he took over in late December, coach Jim Boylan played his main guys heavy minutes and said he was counting on the veterans to lead the turnaround.
That approach didn't work, so it's time for a new one. The veterans still will play a lot, but it's time to give the youngsters -- rookies Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray and second-year players Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha -- regular minutes.
Limit Wallace's minutes to 25 a game and divide the rest of the time at center between Joakim Noah and Gray. Both are better on offense than Wallace, and each provides more size on defense.
Thomas should get steady minutes off the bench at power forward, and Sefolosha should remain in the starting lineup after everyone returns because of his size and defensive abilities.
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