One of my my favorite lines from the movie "That Thing You Do!" is from the beginning of this clip: Lenny: "Skitch", how did we get here?
Guy: I led you here, sir, for I am Spartacus. What does this have to do with the Chicago Bulls? Well, it's a delightful question that has been slowly unfolding over the course of the NBA season, and now finds the Chicago Bulls at 59-20, locked in for the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference, and neck-and-neck with San Antonio for the best record in the NBA with 3 games to go before the regular season ends. How did we get here?
Well...It's been quite a journey for Bulls fans. Last regular season, it was a struggle to finish at 41-41, the 8th seed, followed by the inevitable elimination by the then LeBron James-led Cavaliers in the 1st round of the playoffs. Next, coach Vinny Del Negro was relieved of his duties. After a brief flirtation with eventual Philadelphia coach Doug Collins, the Bulls were able to come to terms with Boston assistant coach, and defensive guru Tom Thibodeau. As June approached, the rumors became rampant on which free agents would want to play with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. In fact, a large number of us started to believe that the Bulls had a shot of one or both of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Long-time Bull Kirk Hinrich was traded in order to create the maximum amount of cap room for another large salary. It was almost too good to be true. And it fact, it was. As it eventually unfolded, Joe Johnson resigned with Atlanta. Amare Stoudemire went to New York. James, Wade and Chris Bosh all signed with Miami. The Bulls? They signed veteran Carlos Boozer, a double-double machine with some injury histories.
They try to sign away sharp shooter JJ Redick from Orlando to attempt to shore up a much discussed need for an outside shooter, only to have Orlando match their offer. In the weeks that follow, the Bulls would sign Kyle Korver, overseas draft pick Omer Asik and Ronnie Brewer. They would draft a second round draft pick for relatively known point guard C.J. Watson. Journeyman center Kurt Thomas would join the fold, followed by the most groan-inducing transaction for a lot of folks at the time: the signing of Keith Bogans. Forward journeyman and human victory cigar Brian Scalabrine was signed as the final piece to the roster in September. With young players Rose and Noah, the addition of Carlos Boozer meant that the Bulls could reasonably expect to compete for home court during the first 2 rounds of the Eastern Conference. With Boston, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta with apparently more talent, the Bulls could hope to compete for at best the 2nd seed, and at worst, maybe the 6th seed. A little bit of luck, and a lot of staying healthy. Um, what was that about staying healthy?
On the eve of training camp, Boozer is felled by a duffel bag, and fractures a bone in his shooting hand. A though early season schedule left many Bulls fans hoping that the Bulls could hold on until Boozer came back sometime in December. In October and November, the Bulls end with a 9-6 record. In December, they finish with with a 21-10.record (going 12-4 in the month). Boozer comes back finally, only to have Noah head for the injury list.
But, despite these apparent setbacks, the Bulls charge through January, February and March, going 12-4, 8-3 and 13-3 in each month and getting Noah back after the All-Star game. With the playoffs just around the corner, the Bulls are 5-0 in April and sit with a 59-20 record. How did we get here?The Bulls most irreplaceable player, someone who puts in a consistent effort on both ends of the court night in and night out has to be "Do-All" Luol Deng. Strangely, the Bulls could win without Rose (which they almost did in Denver earlier in the year). But it's hard to imagine the Bulls winning without the glue that holds them together, Deng. 
Boozer, despite the occasional defensive lapses and struggles against taller players has given the Bulls a good option for low post and high post looks, in addition to pick and pop plays. When he's on, you can pen in a double-double into your stat sheet. 
If Rose is the soul of the team, then Noah is its fiery heart. There are few centers that bring the intensity, energy and passion that Joakim does. Even fewer that you could leave on a switch with LeBron James, and have it work out well (as it happened earlier in the year). 
Although many people have been down about Keith Bogans, he has quietly made a difference when it's mattered. Most recently, he combined efforts with Brewer to harass Ray Allen into a terrible shooting night in April's big win against the Celtics. 
The Bench Mob, as they're now known, is one of the elite units in the league. Most bench units will bring scoring to supplement their starters, the Bench Mob on the other hand? They mostly bring defense, bringing out Brewer, Gibson, Thomas/Asik. C.J. Watson brings a different pace to game, and allows them to run plays with Rose off the ball. Korver is a deadly sharp shooting option when he comes in. RB!
Taj
OG / Big Sexy
Asik and Destroy / The Turkish Hammer
C.J.
KK
What about Coach Thibs? Let's leave him and the coaching staff for a separate post.Regardless of how we got here, there's still a lot of work left to be done. The playoffs start on April 16th, and everyone starts at 0-0 looking to be the first to get to 16 wins. Let's go Bulls! 
Guy: I led you here, sir, for I am Spartacus. What does this have to do with the Chicago Bulls? Well, it's a delightful question that has been slowly unfolding over the course of the NBA season, and now finds the Chicago Bulls at 59-20, locked in for the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference, and neck-and-neck with San Antonio for the best record in the NBA with 3 games to go before the regular season ends. How did we get here?
Well...It's been quite a journey for Bulls fans. Last regular season, it was a struggle to finish at 41-41, the 8th seed, followed by the inevitable elimination by the then LeBron James-led Cavaliers in the 1st round of the playoffs. Next, coach Vinny Del Negro was relieved of his duties. After a brief flirtation with eventual Philadelphia coach Doug Collins, the Bulls were able to come to terms with Boston assistant coach, and defensive guru Tom Thibodeau. As June approached, the rumors became rampant on which free agents would want to play with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. In fact, a large number of us started to believe that the Bulls had a shot of one or both of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Long-time Bull Kirk Hinrich was traded in order to create the maximum amount of cap room for another large salary. It was almost too good to be true. And it fact, it was. As it eventually unfolded, Joe Johnson resigned with Atlanta. Amare Stoudemire went to New York. James, Wade and Chris Bosh all signed with Miami. The Bulls? They signed veteran Carlos Boozer, a double-double machine with some injury histories.
Boozer, despite the occasional defensive lapses and struggles against taller players has given the Bulls a good option for low post and high post looks, in addition to pick and pop plays. When he's on, you can pen in a double-double into your stat sheet. If Rose is the soul of the team, then Noah is its fiery heart. There are few centers that bring the intensity, energy and passion that Joakim does. Even fewer that you could leave on a switch with LeBron James, and have it work out well (as it happened earlier in the year). Although many people have been down about Keith Bogans, he has quietly made a difference when it's mattered. Most recently, he combined efforts with Brewer to harass Ray Allen into a terrible shooting night in April's big win against the Celtics. The Bench Mob, as they're now known, is one of the elite units in the league. Most bench units will bring scoring to supplement their starters, the Bench Mob on the other hand? They mostly bring defense, bringing out Brewer, Gibson, Thomas/Asik. C.J. Watson brings a different pace to game, and allows them to run plays with Rose off the ball. Korver is a deadly sharp shooting option when he comes in. RB!Taj OG / Big SexyAsik and Destroy / The Turkish Hammer C.J.KK What about Coach Thibs? Let's leave him and the coaching staff for a separate post.Regardless of how we got here, there's still a lot of work left to be done. The playoffs start on April 16th, and everyone starts at 0-0 looking to be the first to get to 16 wins. Let's go Bulls!