Flickr Photo via Keith Allison

If you’ve read any headlines since the Miami Heat knocked off the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, then you know virtually no one else stands a chance in this postseason. Not the Dallas Mavericks, who swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, and surely not the Oklahoma City Thunder or Memphis Grizzlies.

Of course, the Bulls were just a stepping stone for the Heat, as well, given their troubles in getting past the Atlanta Hawks in six games. After all, the Heat beat the Celtics in five, and have been proclaimed unbeatable.

Well, there is a reason they play the games. Yes, it was impressive to see LeBron James and Dwayne Wade lighting it up together against the Celtics, but who did they really beat? A banged up, old Boston team, which had a point guard playing with one arm, in Rajon Rondo, and a frontcourt that included an aging Kevin Garnett and a should-have-retired-years-ago Shaquille O’Neal, who made less of an impact on this series than Brian Scalabrine did for the Bulls.

Not to discount the Heat, though. Obviously they’re a top tier team, given that potent backcourt. James and Wade are both all-NBA talents, which certainly showed against the C’s. Sure, they lack depth and a strong frontcourt, but they are still as deadly and explosive as any team remaining in these playoffs.

But to completely dismiss this series as over, as some have already done (looking at you Skip Bayless) could be considered nothing short of absurd. Yes, the Heat have great players, but the Bulls have proven this season that they have the all-around talent to keep up with anyone in the league.

At this point, dismissing the Bulls is irresponsible. They actually match up against the Heat much better than one might realize, even if many have already tossed the Bulls aside as an easy opponent for Miami.

In fact, the Bulls hold an advantage over the Heat, which could end up shaping this series. That advantage lies in the both the frontcourt of the Bulls, and their depth.

There is certainly no shortage of talent down low for the Bulls. After a few tough games in the playoffs, Carlos Boozer found his stride in Thursday’s Game 6 against the Hawks, along with the fact that he plays next to one of the most intense, and a top notch guy on the boards, in Joakim Noah.

Beyond those two, the hat still goes deeper. Taj Gibson has shown that he can stick with anyone in the league and is proving to be a key cog in the Bulls machine. There’s also Omer Asik, who is a beast on the boards and a solid backup for Noah, as well as the veteran big man Kurt Thomas, who is fresh after seeing little time to this point in the postseason.

What do the Heat have down low? Chris Bosh. Now Bosh has had a good postseason, but he was also playing against a Celtics frontcourt that looked very sorry in their series in the past week or so. Joel Anthony certainly isn’t in a league with Boozer or Noah, meaning whichever one Bosh does match up with, will have an extremely favorable matchup in this series.

Of course, there’s still that outlandish advantage the Heat have in the backcourt. Yes, the Bulls have the league MVP in Derrick Rose, but Miami boasts two of the game’s best players in Wade and James. Wade will most likely guard Rose, but luckily for the Bulls, Rose can keep himself fresh on the defensive side of things, with Keith Bogans expected to match up with Wade with the Bulls on D. There’s also the matter of that Luol Deng guy, who is a pretty great defender, matching up against James.

Say what you want about the Bulls not blowing teams out in the playoffs or not looking overly impressive. The fact is, that this team is sound from top to bottom, and has as much depth and defensive skill as any team in the league. They’re not built to blow teams out, and whether they come out on the winning or losing side of this series, each game should prove to be a close one.

On paper, you see the names of Wade and James and assume the Heat have an outstanding advantage over the Bulls in this series. But Chicago is the better overall team, with a better frontcourt and more depth, meaning this is going to be an extremely close, and nerve-racking series for Bulls fans, no matter the result.

If the roster is looked at, they’re all starters for their team in the NBA.This doesn’t mean they couldn’t be semi-scrub, but to be on a starter on an NBA lineup, the player has to have talent. They’re not junior varsity, they play in just as many close meaningful games as any other player in the NBA.

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Chauncey Billups is an NBA champion and a Finals MVP. Lamar Odom is a two-time NBA champion. Kevin Durant was the top scorer in the NBA last year and is a rookie of the year winner. Derrick Rose is also a rookie of the year award winner. All these guys have been NBA All-Stars except Odom, but Danny Granger has.

Sure, these guys are not LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade or Carmello Anthony, but they’re big time players in their own right. Odom is seen as one of the most versatile players in the NBA and Billups is a true floor general who is clutch at pivotal points in games. Durant and Rose have made huge splashes in the NBA and have only been it for a few years a piece. Each player on the lineup has a strong suit whether it be scoring, defense, rebounding or assists. On 2008′s USA Team, Bryant and Wade were the only NBA champions to be on the team. Well, there is two this time as well. Odom helped Kobe win the last two and Billups was the main reason the Detroit Pistons played so well.

What makes this 2010 squad a B’ team compared to other squads? All rosters in the past ten years, look the same. They’re a couple of people who have won championships and are all-stars. It isn’t like these world championship teams are the 1992 Dream Team with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson. Even when they played, Bird and Johnson were at the end pf their careers and they had so called “B’ Team” players in Christian Laettner and Chris Mullin.

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The 2010 team hasn’t lost a game whether it be in the official tournament or exhibition and in order to advance to the semifinals, they bone stomped Angola 122-66.

These guys mean business and are making a point to show they’re just as deserving to be on the USA Team as anybody.

This brings a lot of speculation.

First, it is a well known fact Fernandez wasn’t happy with the amount of minutes he received last season as a Portland Trailblazer.

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If Fernandez is a Bull, he will be behind Rose, Brewer, Watson and probably Kyle Korver. If he is fifth on the back court depth chart, he will get less minutes than he did in Portland when he was behind Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, Steve Blake and Martell Webster.

There is a possibility he would get around the same amount of minutes, is he going to be happy with that?

Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t need to sign players who are going to make the transition from being a consistent eight seed to an elite team in the eastern conference harder than it already is. Fernandez has talent and would fit in well with the team on the court when he does get in. But, if he has a problem sitting on the bench when he isn’t needed in the game, then don’t sign him.

The talent Fernendez has is needed, I won’t understate it. He would be an additional three point shooter. After last years poor shooting performance, the Bulls can’t possibly have enough sharp shooters. Rudy can also take it to the lane. Having another guy, besides Derrick Rose, who can cause more than one defender to drop into the paint and leave his match up would be great for the Chicago playbook.

What would the Bulls have to give up to get Rudy Fernandez?

There have been talks of trading last year’s rookies, James Johnson and Taj Gibson. Also, there have been rumors the Bulls would throw in a first round draft pick with Johnson if the Blazers wanted more.

First of all, Gibson should not be traded unless your going to get a top five player in the NBA. They’re not going to get LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul or Kevin Durant, so he shouldn’t even be on the market. In his rookie year, he was fantastic. He adds depth in the front court who can take it to the hoop or keep the opposition away from it. The Bulls are not paying him top dollar but he is putting up top numbers for where they got him in the draft.This equals a great investment.

Johnson could be traded for Fernandez, I have no problem with the idea. The Trailblazers are not going to give him up for only Johnson though, at least they wouldn’t if they’re smart.  They want to throw a draft pick in the situation. A second round pick, okay, no problem. But, there is no way the Bulls should give up a first pick and Johnson for Fernandez.

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Draft picks are a big reason why teams like the Spurs, Lakers and the Trailblazers have stayed relevant. Draft picks are how teams such as the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Bulls and the Kings have become relevant or are becoming relevant.

Rudy is a solid player, but he is not good enough to throw away an option on a future player who could help the Bulls get to or stay at an elite status. Fernandez could be the player to help instead of getting a draft pick, but if he is complaining about minutes, the better idea would to get a player out of college who just wants to show he belongs in the NBA.

Fernandez has been in the league for two years as a Portland Trailblazer. In those two seasons, he averages 9.4 points, 2.0 assists, 85% from the free throw line, 40% from the field and 39% from the three point line.

Wade has been reported to question the loyalty of the Bull’s management.  Joakim Noah and Lindsay Hunter have been quoted in the media saying Lebron should come to Chicago.  Bosh has listed Chicago as one of his five destinations he would like to play for next year.

Then the Bulls fired Vinny Del Negro, so they’re in the market for a new man on the sideline.  Avery Johnson, Byron Scott, Lawrence Frank, Jeff Van Gundy and Doug Collins are all ex-coaches looking for a job.  ESPN has sources who say Phil Jackson has been contacted to return as the Bull’s Head Coach and University of Kentucky’s John Calipari has been in the news for the job as well.

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To add a little more controversy around the Bulls is the legacy of arguably the best player to ever grace the NBA, Michael Jordan.  It has been said players would not want to go to Chicago because they would be in the shadow of MJ.  The Utah Jazz’s power forward, Carlos Boozer, who is going to be a free agent, doesn’t agree.

I like these statements from Boozer.  Actually,  it makes his resume go closer to the top of the pile as a free agent pick up.

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He isn’t scared to play in the house Jordan built.  He is showing pride in himself as a player.  He realizes the 90′s Bulls were great, but why shouldn’t any other great players be a Bull?

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The Celtics have won the most championships in the history of the NBA.  This didn’t scare Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett going to Boston.  The Lakers are the second winning-est franchise in history.  This didn’t stop Shaquille O’Neal or Pau Gasol to moving to Los Angeles.   This didn’t stop Paul Pierce or Kobe Bryant from signing extensions either.

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If anything Jordan and Scottie Pippen created a winning atmosphere other players should love to play in.  Sure, the Bulls fell off for about ten years, but this was because of former Bull’s general manager Jerry Krause causing problems with the stars and college players with tons of potential not panning out: Marcus Fizer, Jay Williams, Chris Duhon, Eddie Robinson and Tyrus Thomas.

I agree with Wade, because Jordan, Pippen or any other ex-Bull are nowhere near the organization.  I disagree with Wade because the management that was in place isn’t currently in office.  Jerry Reinsdorf is still the owner, but is he really the guy they don’t get along with, no.

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For the most part it was Jerry Krause, who has retired in 2003 as the Bulls general manager.

Since then, there hasn’t been any rumors or problems with loyalty in the Bulls organization.

It would be great for Wade to get over Chicago’s past history and put on a Bull’s jersey.

The MVP year ended by getting swept in the first round by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors in one of the biggest upset series in league history.

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The Mavericks have followed the failure ever since then; 2008 was a first round exit, 2009 beat in the semifinals and were took out in the first round this season as well.

It isn’t like the Mavericks are going into the playoffs in the seven or eight seeds; they’re advancing to the post season in the one through three seeds.

The Mavericks super star Dirk Nowitzki is the number six option in the top ten free agent options for the Chicago Bulls.

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He is a great talent.  Besides Larry Bird, he is the best seven foot three point shooter to ever grace the NBA.  On any night, Dirk can put up 40 points.  Since the 2000-2001 season, he has averaged more than 21 points a game.

During these playoff blunders, Dirk’s numbers stay the same.  Actually his points per game go up.  He doesn’t crack under pressure, but his team does.  Is this his lack of captain leadership?  One blunder maybe not, but with four consecutive early exits, the question has to be asked.

With Dirk on the court, he does draw an instant double team for most teams in the NBA.  This would work great for the Bulls.  Other players could cut to the basket without being blanketed or a big man would be left alone in the low paint.

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His offensive game would open up the Chicago play book because of the big man who can hit a jump shot from anywhere on the court.  He can also run the floor, which would fit in perfectly with the Bulls since they’re all lean and athletic.

Nowitzki does lack defense, but like I said with Amare Stoudemire, the Bulls have Noah and the perimeter guys know how to play help defense.  Nowitzki does play some D, more than Stoudemire, just at a low level compared to others in the league.

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Stated at the beginning of the post, the question is his leadership.  In Dallas, he has played with some solid players.  This year they had, Hall of Fame bound Jason Kidd, last year’s sixth man of the year Jason Terry, a motivated Caron Butler, and the high energy Shawn Marion.

If he came to Chicago,  Dirk would have budding superstars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, a decent third scoring option in Luol Deng and a couple of great guys to have come off the bench in Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson.

His Dallas rosters have been better.  The only thing in Chicago’s roster favor is their heart and desire.  They play harder than the Mavericks, just don’t have their talent.

Can Dirk lead them to a championship?  He hasn’t been able to with a better roster and great coaches. He played for Don Nelson, who was voted to be a top ten coach of all time.  Avery Johnson, who is a coach all the teams without a coach want and Rick Carlisle who has been to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons as a head coach.

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The Bulls don’t have a coach at the current time and the open market doesn’t have any super attractive guys.  Johnson could come to Chicago,  maybe that would bring Dirk.

Nowitzki has proved he is a great player whether it be one on one or in a 3 on 1 transition fast break with his teammates, but he hasn’t proved he can make his team better.

What if, he wasn’t the number one guy?  If Dirk came to the Bulls and was a number two option behind Rose, he would be golden.  The pressure of leading the team would be on the point guard and the star Chicago has named as their own.

All Dirk would have to do is shoot the rock.

This would make him a great choice.  Dirk has the offensive game the Bulls desperately need but he hasn’t helped his team get to the promise land.  This is why he doesn’t make the top five.

Click in tomorrow for # 5 in the top ten summer free agent options for the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago has six players on the books for next season: Luol Deng, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and James Johnson.  They are allowed to have 15, so there is room for nine more players.

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The NBA projects next year’s salary cap to be $56.1 million.  Chicago only has $33.6 million spent, meaning they have $22.5 mill to go shopping with.

Fortunately for the Bulls, they have plenty of money to replace at least one of these empty roster spots with an elite NBA athlete and add a few strong counter parts to the young and talented nucleus all ready on the team.

Let’s start by getting rid of the free agents that have no chance of coming to Chicago.

Paul Pierce has the early termination option in his contract.  The Boston Celtics are a serious threat to win the championship this year.  He has been in Boston his entire career and is loved there.  They looked old all season, but now, look like they’re in their early 20′s come playoff time. Rajon Rondo is a superstar and will be the new face of the Celtics, but Pierce is going to stay to pass the torch.  Plus, Doc Rivers doesn’t want to disband the big three: Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

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Manu Ginobili already signed an extension with the San Antonio Spurs.  There was no reason for him to leave.  San Antonio is his city and he proved he can still play and lead them to victory when healthy.

Tracy McGrady is washed up.  He had his spot as an NBA superstar taken away by injuries.  In 13 seasons, he has only played in 70 or more games five times.  He can’t stay healthy and he can’t play at the elite level he thinks he can.

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Shaquille O’Neal is at the end of his career.  He is still a legitimate 12 points and 7 rebounds a game kind of guy.  This isn’t bad for a center in the NBA these days.  Shaq’s size is also a positive for a low post presence on offense and defense.  He is just too slow and will not fit in with the Bull’s offense.  Chicago likes to push the ball.

Jermaine O’Neal is at the end of his career as well.  He didn’t do anything to help Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat in the playoffs, he would be a waste of money.

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Yao Ming has health injuries just as bad as his ex-teammate McGrady.  Ming is a scoring and defensive presence, but his ankles, feet and knees can’t hold up.

Josh Howard is too much baggage.  He can play, but he is inconsistent and has let off the court situations interfere with his NBA career.

Michael Redd would be a great piece to add because of his shooting.  He is one of the best pure shooters in the league but he can’t stay on the court.  In the last two seasons he has only played 51 games.  I would like to add him to the “get” list, but I don’t know how he’s going to bounce back from his injuries.

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Tyson Chandler is all ready on the Bulls, Joakim Noah.  They play a similar style, except, Noah is younger, plays with more energy and can score further from the basket than Chandler.  If the Bulls get a big man, they need a scorer, not defense and rebounding.

Anybody not mentioned is up for grabs in the next 10 posts, come back tomorrow to find out who number ten is.

[picappgallerysingle id="8787164"]This could be a blessing for the Chicago Bulls.  We all know Lebron is a free agent in the summer.  He is title hungry and wants to be one of the best players to ever play in the NBA.  He hasn’t been able to win a championship in his seven years at Cleveland.

Management has structured their entire roster around Lebron.  Still,  no playoff success.  He is going to leave.

[picappgallerysingle id="8785280"]The teams being thrown around for James to go to are: Bulls, Knicks, Miami or stay in Cleveland.  I already ruled out Cleveland.  The Knicks are horrible and he would be in a worse situation than he is already in.

[picappgallerysingle id="8497145"]In Miami, there is this really good player you might have heard of,  Dwayne Wade.  Both James and Wade need the ball to create and play their style of ball.  They both want to be the face of their teams.  They’re not ready to share stardom. 

[picappgallerysingle id="7626360"]This leaves the Chicago Bulls.  They have a young nucleus but need a bonafide superstar.  James would fit perfectly.  He would get all the looks he wants.  He would have Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah to play inside on both sides of the ball.  Derrick Rose would be a second scoring option and is a solid passer.  Luol Deng is a strong third scoring option and lengthy wing defender.

Chicago has the money to afford him. Chicago is a big NBA market. 

There has been talk of him being in the shadow of Michael Jordan.  Everyone who comes to Chicago will be in this situation. Does this mean a super-star caliber player is never going to play for the Bulls, no.

[picappgallerysingle id="2183109"]Look at the Lakers and the Celtics.  They have had tons of stars play for them.  The next generation didn’t say I won’t play for them, they gladly signed the contract knowing they are playing on an historic franchise. 

The Bulls look like the best team in Lebron’s handful of options.  He should come to Chicago, win six championships and prove he is on an elite status as an NBA player.

[picappgallerysingle id="8784527"]As I type this, ESPN keeps reporting the Cavs might fire Mike Brown.  They should.

For the last two seasons, the Cavs went into the playoffs with the NBA’s best regular season record.  Lebron has won back to back MVP awards. Last year they were eliminated in the conference finals and this year the conference semifinals. 

Brown has had the best player in game.  He has had two all-star players in Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison, an old but still playable Shaquille O’Neal and solid role players like Anthony Parker and Anderson Varejao to build around his superstar.  All ended in the defeat because he couldn’t coach them. 

[picappgallerysingle id="8784797"]Brown can’t get the job done with James, how is he going to get the job done if James leaves? 

If the Cavs fire Brown, it could show James they are willing to do whatever they have to do to get him to resign.  Sorry to burst Cleveland fan’s bubble, but James is gone anyway.

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Lets face it, no one thought Jackson was going to come back to Chicago.  It would have been a great story line and a moment to celebrate at the local pub for all Bulls fans of age, but it wasn’t going to happen.

He has a dream job for NBA head coaches.  Los Angeles is sunny all year long, he has a superstar (Kobe Bryant) with two or three years left in his prime, a strong supporting cast and he gets to mingle with celebrities.  He loves it in LA, why come back to the windy city with a young team in the development stage?

[picappgallerysingle id="8648226"]I said in my last post, it could propel him as the hands down number one coach in history, it would.  Maybe, Jackson couldn’t handle the challenge at his age.  It would have been awesome, but it isn’t going to happen.

[picappgallerysingle id="8358499"]I thought Calipari could be a risky choice.  I don’t like college coaches trying to make the jump to the NBA; it usually doesn’t work out.  Plus, he failed miserably in his first stint with in the late 90′s with the New Jersey Nets. 

He does have great strengths.  Calipari is known as a master recruiter.  In each of his three college coaching jobs (UMASS, Memphis, Kentucky), he recruited great talent and changed the programs around.  

UMASS was an NIT team before he got there.  He took them to the sweet sixteen and the final four.  Without Calipari, no one knew Memphis had a basketball program; he took them to the championship game.  He recruited Derrick Rose, who the Bulls selected number one overall in the 2008 draft.  Does the name John Wall ring any bells?  Enough said. 

[picappgallerysingle id="793900"]Calipari has ties with the summer’s top three free agents: Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh.   

The Bulls need one of these guys if they hope to get to the “elite” level in the NBA.  Calipari could have brought one of them to Chicago.  Although I thought he could be a bust,  I would have loved him to be on the sideline, if that meant Bosh, Wade or Lebron would be in a Bull’s jersey.

[picappgallerysingle id="8222106"]The Bulls will keep digging through the names of coaches looking for a job until either, everyone says no or they find a guy they think can help the team.  At least I hope this is the game plan.  

Chicago doesn’t need another young, up and coming coach.  The young roster needs someone who is a proven winner and can mold five individual talents into one cohesive unit.

[picappgallerysingle id="8627052"]I hope their digging doesn’t result in scrapping the bottom of the well.

What if the man who brought them to their dominance in the 90′s, came back.  Yes, that’s right, Phil Jackson.  Remember when he was an assistant to Doug Collins, then took over the Bulls and put them at the top of the NBA for six seasons, three consecutive years at a time.  Why wouldn’t he want to come back?  Kobe and Los Angeles Lakers is probably the answer.

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Jackson has said he doesn’t want to coach anywhere else but in LA, but a lot of people say things, “I never had sexual relations,” remember when Bill Clinton said that.  How about the multiple retirements athletes have these days.  They said they were going to retire, but they come back.  Jackson could go to another team.

He should seriously think about returning to Chicago if he decides he wants to leave Kobe.  Think about it, the city of Chicago would bow at Jackson’s feet as soon as he signed the contract.  

I don’t even think I need to state anything about his resume.  His playoff records are insane.  He needs one more ring to have one on all fingers and with the way the Lakers are playing, he might have it at the beginning of next season. 

[picappgallerysingle id="8567055"]He is the coach every player in the NBA wants to play for, because they know he is a winner.  I think the challenge of Jackson taking a young Bulls team to thechampionship level would propel him to a hands down best coach of all time accolade.  Right now he is battling Pat Riley and Red Auerbach. 

[picappgallerysingle id="3163655"]Plus,  there is the free agency talk.  Phil Jackson as the head coach would be a great recruiting tool.  Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh are all hungry for a championship, so why not play for a man who has nine?