The Bulls' Fourth Quarter: I don't want to be like Candy

This spoof is the conclusion to the original scene I posted over on my Tumblr, and now that the Bulls went and made the playoffs, the exaggerated death seems like an even more appropriate parable for this season. We could have slunk out of this NBA season quietly just having missed the playoffs, but NO SIR! Why stop there when you could be that very first stone to be absolutely stomped on in what appears to be King James' imminent coronation as an NBA Champion (or at least that appears to be the early majority assumption—my picks will be up tomorrow, honestly).

Truth be told, the Bulls struggled through this final quarter of the season, and things finally seemed to explode in a perfect shitstorm, what with TNT's Craig Sager getting attention for something other than his ridiculous suits and calling attention to the severe lack of good beat reporting we've been missing in this city all season long. I'm sure I'll have further thoughts on the whole Paxon-Del Negro shoving incident and all of its fallout when Bulls season officially concludes in, oh, probably about a week. 


Yes, I do remember what happened last year with Boston and how thrilling that seven-game series ended up being, but I also remember that we lost that series. And while I can't seem to find the specific comments I made previously about how that series would make Vinny a sympathetic character, that's certainly become even more true with the recent developments. I've been something of a Vinny-basher from Day One, so I should say in conclusion for the time being that the man has come in and performed as professionally as possible when considering the dysfunctional front office he is working for.

Still, I don't think it makes me any less of a fan to say that I'm not building up any of my hopes for what this team's going to be able to do in this year's playoffs. The moves the team made this year are the clearest indication of any that the plan right now is to land the biggest name(s?) possible in this summer's free-agent frenzy, and then maybe next year we can talk about this contending business seriously.

And in between now and July 1, the biggest question isn't so much what happens with the players on the team as it is what happens with the people in charge of that team. Your move, Mr. Reinsdorf.