The Chicago Bulls fell in lopsided fashion against the Cleveland Cavaliers but there are some developments which could be bright for the ballclub.
Of course that may not include Tom Thibodeau who is expected to be fired by the Bulls. Rather it has something to do with Derrick Rose who was able to return and provide some help for the Bulls after a long bout with knee injuries.
Many were in doubt on whether Rose would be able to deliver and stay healthy at that. Despite some rough and anxious moments, everyone saw that the former NBA MVP is back in harness. It even included a buzzer-beating shot that allowed the Bulls to steal game 3 of their series against Cleveland.
In general however, the Bulls found it simply too tough even with a depleted Cleveland Cavaliers squad which got a huge lift from LeBron James.
Moving forward, the Bulls have to address some matters on the table. One is of course the status of Thibodeau. It has long been rumored that he will be fired by the end of the season regardless of how the Bulls end the 2014-15 season. To date, there is no official word on who would take over although the name of Fred Hoiberg has been floating around.
Then there is Jimmy Butler who is expected to be flooded with offers once free agency starts. It remains to be seen if Butler would stay or decide to sign with other teams now that the Bulls' campaign has ended.
For Rose, this will be the first time he will be finishing a season injury-free. During the break, Rose plans to work out and will play in the FIBA World Cup. He has two seasons remaining where he is set to receive $41,416,316 as part of the maximum extension he signed with the Bulls.
After that no one knows what lies ahead. Rose is expected to be injury prone so he may need to add some other less tedious dimensions to his game. At only 26 years old, Rose still has a long tenure in the NBA and it remains to be seen after two years' time if he will continue to stay with the franchise.
