Alright, with Tyrus suspended the next two games, it really takes a lot of the fun out of watching the games, and complaining over Boylan. And in another depressing note, Thabo will be out for the foreseeable future as well.

And it's not just 'fun', they're two of the more productive players on the team, and as we've seen: more Hughes and Gooden isn't working out.

So figure that they go winless against the Cavs, Celtics, Pistons, and Jazz, putting them at 24-40 before a big 'showdown' with Philly next Friday.

By then, their 'competition' (I won't include the Bobcats, even though they've bested the Bulls Wednesday night by getting a 3-game win streak)....

Sixers: SEA, @MIL, BOS, @DET (guess: 2-2)
Nets:  @NO, @DAL, @HOU, CLE (1-3)
Hawks: @CHA, MIA, @ORL, HOU (2-2)
Pacers: @SA, @CLE, SEA (1-2)
Bucks: POR, PHI, @WAS, UTA (1-3)

The standings could be:

7 Philadelphia 30-35
8 New Jersey 27-38
Atlanta 26-37
Indiana 25-39
Chicago 24-40
Milwaukee 24-41

By then it's not the games back, but how many teams the Bulls would have to outplay with only 18 games left. Keep in mind the Bulls suck.

But since the other teams suck as well, I won't even say they're out of it. But by that point, I'd just want the organization to stop talking about being in it.

The good news is that this team can't tank, so we don't have to bore ourselves discussing the merits of such a tactic. They could shut down Deng, I suppose (in a contract year though?), but the true sign would be playing Tyrus, Noah, and Thabo (once he heals) more. So even 'tanking' would be fun, if not helping the lottery chances. They can't be bad enough to be more than 8th-worst anyway.