Yeah, this hurts.

I made a positive, "everything's alright" post after LeBron took his talents to South Beach, and I think now's the time for another one. They're kind of a form of self-therapy I guess; I probably need them as much as we all do.

So we just blew a big lead late in the game (the very thing I laughed at the Thunder for doing a few days ago) and let Miami win their fourth straight game against us to advance to the Finals (and celebrate in our house). Sooooo, what's the silver lining? Well, a few good things will come of this.

Roster Changes

There is no doubt in my mind our now top-notch front office will be aggressive this offseason and acquire the talent we need. Our big weakness -- having only one true ball handler/creator -- was masked during the regular season but exposed during the playoffs like many of us speculated or feared. We held our ground during the trade deadline and didn't make a possibly regrettable move just to make one (and I respect that) but the gauntlet has been thrown. It's gonna be an interesting summer.

Dwight David Howard...

...no doubt watched what unfolded in this series. If he didn't already know, the reality that he will not beat the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls with his current Magic team, ever, has certainly set in. Assuming he cares about 1) big market exposure, and 2) winning, there is no better mix of the two for him than the Chicago Bulls. I fully expect us to aggressively be in the thick of things when it comes to acquiring D12 (see above).

Rose

This is really the focal point of this whole thing; the reason for the title. Do you remember what happened after Rose missed that freethrow against the Clippers? Yeah, abracadabra: elite freethrow shooter.

I think it's safe to say we just witnessed the single most important moment in Rose's basketball career. After what transpired in these last few games... well, I think Rose isn't going to be the same. This will be his turning point. There is no doubt in my mind Derrick Rose will now be the best, the most dominant, and the most heartless basketball player in the NBA next season and for the foreseeable future. The current jumble of emotions (rage, disbelief, pain) he is feeling from letting his teammates, the city, the organization, his family and friends, and us fans down like that will propel him to unbelievable heights. This doesn't mean the end of Mr. Nice Rose, no, he'll still be that same sincerely humble kid at heart, but it's the on-court attitude and demeanor that will change.

And man, it's going to be amazing to watch.

It's been a great season guys, here's to the blindingly bright future.