This seems like the low point of the year, and there's enough hating going on, so let's start with the fact that I internalized my rant, and am not happy with the recent week and a half of crappy play.  Now consider the following:

    Look at the following schedule, and put any of the non-top-6 teams to this test, and let's see the outcome.  Oh yeah, take out three rotation players w injuries: @ Bos, Utah, @ Det, @ Mia, @ Atl, @ NJ, Orl, @ Cle.  2-6 isn't so bad.  I don't see one game in there that I would have bet Chgo. 

     Next, let's be realistic, where did you think this team would be after 33 games?  They're 0-9 against the elite teams of Bos, LA, Cle, Orl, and SA.  They're 4-9 against the rest of the league in road games.  This is abysmal, but probably predictable for a team in flux with a complete makeover.  That's 4-18. 

    I don't have 33 fingers and toes to do the math, but I think that makes us 10-1 playing at home against other than the roylaty of the league.  The worst of the schedule is behind us now.  Looking ahead.

     They have 15 games in January.  Only 5 on the road.  Only 2 against the cream.  I thought that they'd have a rough first half, so what's the difference if we found out they're not competitive with the better teams or not even close to competitive?  I've always felt that sometimes it's better to bring a crisis to a boil and confront it instead of living in denial and letting it fester.  Right now is realistically the beginning of the season for this team. 

     Now, do we want a playoff birth or a lotto pick?  Preseason, I'd hoped for a second half that would produce 23-25 wins and predicted we'd be closer to 50 wins than 30.  But that would only have meaning if the team established its identity, so that future changes could be clearly seen.  I'd prefer to see us finish in the playoffs, regardless of the whumping we'd likely receive.  The year that MJ torched Ehlo for all eternity, they weren't supposed to win one game in the playoffs.   

     Statistics indicate that some stereotypes aren't really all that accurate.  I've been hearing repeatedly that our backcourt is world-class and the frontourt sucks.  But look at the advanced stats here, which are sortable:  Bulls stats @ BR.com  BG and Rose have the 3rd and 7th ORT, which is good.  But they are 12th and 13th out of 13 in DRT.   Our top 4 in DRT?  TT, Noah, Gooden and Thabo; surprising, eh?  Tops in ORT are Noah and Gray.  PER has Gordon, Noah and Rose on top.  Surprisingly stinky are Deng and TT.  So stat-wise, Noah is ranked first, second and second, but in minutes played?  Eighth, with not even half of Rose's or Gordon's!   Something wrong with this picture.

     At this point, VDN looks like a horrible choice, possibly he-that shall-not-be-named-deux.  Noc is rated 12th, 8th and 11th in PER, ORT, and DRT, but 4th in minutes.  I like Noc, and would love to see him land somewhere that he can contribute, but I don't want to see him much this year.  What I'm afraid of is that VDN's vision doesn't fit what talent we do have in the frontcourt, and he's trying to fit round pegs into square holes, and judging them harshly for doing what they were expected to do when they were selected.  Deng is floundering.  Van Lier is calling for dumping TT and Noah.  Geez, so stormin Norman thinks that our two top rated defenders are the problem with this team?  How about the genius that sent out a lineup of Hunter, Hughes, Noah, Noc and Thabo to turn a 6 point deficit into a 16 point first quarter route?   

     If he's trying to install SSOL, then yes, we need an entirely different set of pieces up front.  Good luck, and we should all change channels until the roster is remade.  And that's the shame of it all to me.  The handling of the personnel seems no better than last year.  The rotations are just as confusing, and I suppose demoralizing. 

     So, it looks like Pax has to choose between his coach and his roster, and I emphasize HAS TO.  If he's going to give VDN a run, he'd better dump those that don't fit in exchange for whatever's available that does.  Or, cut his losses and look at the available coaches.  Or, the third alternative is to sit Vinnie down and straighten him out.  Nobody gives a hoot if Gooden, Noc and Hughes can play .500 ball; if this team is going to arrive, it will be because Noah and Thomas arrived, and Deng got his mojo back.  If the staff fails that test, they failed, period.  This team can win 10 of the next 15 if they try.  I'll reserve judgment until the end of January.