Jim Boylan gives his best Alexander Haig impression to KC Johnson, who not only got Paxson to say Boylan's "done a good job", but one-upped him with his own opinion that it's been, in fact, a "very very good job".

And while luke-warmingly endorsing his uncontrolled puppet, Pax also managed to hand out yet another fine as a result of the team's latest bout with 'unprofessionalism'.

The organizational message is starting to get re-sent that it's 'character' that wins, and the lack of it has caused this derailment of a season. That may be partly the case, but it's an especially egregious failure in light of the preaching about how they've picked (and perhaps held on to) players based on this nebulous trait, which has turned out to merely mean not getting arrested.

Because the important, actual team-building aspect of these character guys is lacking: they've quit on two coaches, there's no leadership except when it's time to crap on a younger player, and missed practices and shootarounds abound.

But the answer isn't to bring in yet more guys with the 'character' label, it's to realize that it's a low priority. This team once 'bought in' because they were winning. If they win again, it'll bring the character, not vice versa. Get better players, and realize that this is the NBA and few players are perfectly agenda-less. Not that there aren't a few team-killing anti-character players out there as well, but I'd avoid Adrian Griffin just as much as Zach Randolph.

Meanwhile...in the lamest playoff push in history, the Bulls gain ground by simply not playing, as the Sixers, Nets, and Hawks all lost.