Is it a successful season by the Bulls just making the playoffs?
Whitlow: This season has been a trainwreck. And, they still made the playoffs. I guess for some, that’s good and they get to see the Bulls play a few more games. But for others (including myself), the Bulls would’ve been better off tearing down this current roster and getting ping pong balls in May. Going one-and-done in the postseason isn’t really a successful season, but don’t tell John Paxson and Gar Forman that because building a playoff-making streak over the years will totally bring free agents to Chicago.
Fourte: Considering all the offseason losses from Derrick Rose to Joakim Noah to Mike Dunleavy and so on, the Bulls did fine. In this improving Eastern Conference, there was a lot of suffering involved. This team is definitely better than the way they played this season. That was the confusing and frustrating part this year. For the Bulls to crack the eighth seed while balancing about 25 different starting lineups this season, I guess it’s all right. Would I call it a success? Eh, it’s a process. At the end of the day it’s a tough call, but above all else… #FireGarPax.
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Sheetz: No. If they make it to the second round I’d be satisfied, but going through this whole mess of a season just to get bounced in embarrassing fashion right away would leave some type of bad taste in my mouth. I don’t know, I’d probably be happy if they play the Celtics well in a seven game series but like I said, alternate reality.
Berry: This was in no way a successful season for the Bulls. Sure the team made the playoffs, but for most of the season it wasn’t fun to watch this team. There isn’t much excitement about Chicago making the playoffs, and rightfully so. Who knows how many players on this team will even be on the roster in three years. The Bulls gave up Taj Gibson and seemingly got nothing back, as Cameron Payne still warms the bench. Chicago’s young players were thrown in and out of lineups willy-nilly, and it’s hard to evaluate any of them fully. Is Jerian Grant actually a serviceable point guard, or have Bulls fans been subjected to such awful point guard play that they brainwashed themselves into believing that? This season has only raised more questions, and management has some serious questions awaiting them in the offseason. Maybe roster concerns will actually be addressed this offseason, maybe there will be a megatrade, or maybe the Bulls will essentially stand pat. A nagging voice in my head says this offseason will only end with more disappointment.
Coughlin: This has been a very hard year. No, nothing about John Paxson, Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael Reinsdorf or Gar Forman says, “success.” Somewhere, someone listened to this song when the Bulls clinched the playoffs. That somewhere was the United Center. That someone was the group of guys I just mentioned.