Oh, sure. Maybe I should have broken these two teams in separate posts, but really, the endings for both teams arrived much sooner than expected, separated only by a couple weeks. One set of hopes ended in April while the other's were extinguished in May when there were once again notions both could be playing in June. Two first round exits for both Chicago clubs, and now the question that needs to be asked is, "Will either one is going to be any closer to a championship next season?"
Sure, we could sit here and harp about the injustice of having to watch some thug knock the Blackhawks' top scorer out for the remainder of the playoffs on yet another unquestionable cheap shot. Or we could bemoan what might have been had the Bulls not lost both Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, but again, what might have been or what was supposed to be is rather pointless now. You have to wonder whether these teams are going to be considered contenders when next year begins.
Maybe some in Chicago will be tempted to believe that this further exemplifies some sort of "curse" on the city's sports teams, but it's one year of some unlucky breaks. Two years removed from a Stanley Cup and about a decade-and-a-half from when the sixth Larry O'Brien Trophy in eight years was being delivered to Chicago. So the suffering has been a lot worse in other cities, to be sure.
On the Bulls side, I do wonder about Carlos Boozer's commitment to winning a title when he's telling the media that finishing with the league's best record justifies a success despite the first-round elimination. Uh ... no. Even without Rose or Noah, a supposed title contender should still be able to dispatch of an eight-seed that stumbled into these playoffs. The lacklusterness of the team without Rose is particularly concerning, because the severity of his injury and the time it may take him to recover is going to require that all other players really elevate their games next season. I can't say I'm overwhelmingly optimistic about those chances.
And then there's the small matter of Tom Thibodeau, who I cannot assume will still be the Bulls coach after his contract expires until there's an extension to prove so. He, not Boozer, can take credit for an overall No. 1 seed, since it's the second straight year he's led the team to the best record in the regular season. His work performance should not be undone by the pair of injuries that cut the playoffs short.
It will only get tougher for the Bulls next year, depending on when they get Rose back and what he's able to do when he returns. I don't know that I'd expect the team to be making headlines with any moves during the offseason, but as I said, hopefully there can be something to bolster the team's presence in the post. Again, I''ll pick on Boozer since he's so often inclined to shoot his fadeaway when I would just like to seem some moves toward the basket. Too often this year, the Bulls seemed to me to be a team that was succeeding with hot perimeter shooting, and that's always a risk going into the playoffs, where even a just above average defensive squad can be enough to cause you to come up short.
Now, as for the beloved Blackhawks, Stan Bowman is the one who will be feeling the most scrutiny. While the talk always seems to drift to the possibility of Coach Q being fired whenever this team struggles, Bowman's supposed to be the miracle-working GM that was going to keep the team in contention after the payroll mess Dale Tallon created.
The goaltending was the area of greatest concern all year, and indeed, it would probably still be the source of the greatest ire from fans since two rather soft goals resulted in two very important losses. I don't know that I'd say one Antti Niemi is assuredly the answer, but then again, many are rightfully wondering whether we really gained anything by preventing Niklas Hjalmarsson from going to San Jose.
Truth be told, since the 'Hawks season ended, the biggest source of attention has been the offseason adventures of Patrick Kane. His latest weekend of debauchery has led to some wondering whether the negative attention he garners for the franchise will lead to a trade, but I for one cannot justify shipping him out of town. As disappointing as his numbers might be for the one playoff series the Hawks had this year, he's still just too damn good and I have a hard time believing that I could ever be satisfied with whomever the team would get for him. Or I'd be ruing the decision every time he appeared in a highlight for another club.
Perhaps the loss with the most impact this year for the Blackhawks was the departure of Brian Campbell. Indeed, for years, we'd been looking at that contract of his and thinking there was no way that the team could ever get rid of that ungodly amount. And then Dale Tallon wound up in Florida.
But with Campbell's numbers being off the books, the defense truly suffered. The team has yet to replace that stick that seems to be able to effortlessly clear pucks from that end of the ice and seamlessly flow into, say, an odd-man rush on the other end of the ice. I have not forgotten that the Blackhawks did not truly begin to roll that year they won the Cup until Campbell returned to the lineup. He was a huge ingredient to the club's success, and beyond just the goaltending concerns, the 'Hawks desperately need to improve on the defense. Brent Seabrook aside, every one of those defensemen has room for improvement going into next year.
Again, the endings for these two teams concludes pretty much the most miserable cycle of seasons for the Four Bs that I can recall happening in the same calendar year. Are either the Blackhawks or the Bulls any closer to a championship? Right now, it does not appear so. We will see if either club can make a move or acquisition that gives me a little more reason for optimism come October.
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