So earlier I wrote an initial reaction to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and the way the Bulls’ season ended was one that everyone involved would like to forget immediately.  But the sting and bitter taste left from last night’s defeat shouldn’t tarnish what was a fantastic season for the Bulls.

Chicago finished with the best record in all of basketball, after finishing at .500 last season.  The 62-20 mark was good enough for home court advantage throughout the playoffs, and up until the Miami series, the Bulls never lost three consecutive games.  The team overhauled its roster in the offseason to build around Derrick Rose, and the additions of Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, among others, certainly paid dividends all year.  The team played stout defense throughout due to first-year coach (and Coach of the Year) Tom Thibodeau and his defense-first coaching philosophy.  The result was one of the best seasons in franchise history and the best season the team has had since Michael Jordan left. 

The real highlight of the season was watching the maturation of Rose into the league’s Most Valuable Player.  In his first two seasons, Rose proved he belonged and was the best player on the team.  But once the team built the supporting cast for Rose specifically, he took his game to another level.  Rose is clearly the leader of this version of the Bulls, and will be for many years to come.  You usually can tell how good a player is by his third year in the league, and it’s obvious that Rose is a very special player.  There is a very good chance he will need to dust off space for more MVP trophies in the future. 

Rose led the team into the playoffs and deep into them for the first time since 1998.  The Bulls showed signs of their overall youth, playing close games with Indiana and Atlanta, before falling to the Heat.  Rose showed his lack of experience, as LeBron James played more like the MVP in the series than Rose.  But the final series doesn’t take anything away from what Rose and the Bulls accomplished this season.  They ran into a superior team with superior talent coming together at the best possible time.  But the experience the team gained in 2010-2011 will be invaluable going forward, and the future looks very bright, indeed.

First, Rose has a knack for avenging certain defeats.  The Bulls blew a big lead to Atlanta earlier in the year and responded by blowing them out their next visit.  Rose potentially was embarrassed by Miami and he no doubt will be looking to exact some revenge on the Heat next season.  There is no doubt Rose will put in whatever work is necessary over the summer to improve his game, and he could certainly use work on his jumper and three-point shooting.  Ideally, he’ll also have some more weapons the next time the two teams do battle.  I don’t think Boozer’s shaky playoff performances warrant a change, as he was a valuable piece throughout the year.  What the Bulls need is a stud shooting guard, a legitimate scorer who can force defenses to back off Rose. 

If the Bulls can land that type of player, next year looks to be even better than this past one. With another scoring threat, Rose will have more space to create shot attempts and the Bulls will have multiple threats that would need to be accounted for.  Moreover, Thibodeau will have a year of experience under his belt and will be able to adjust the offense more cleanly and efficiently.  The Bulls really have yet to hit their ceiling, and with the correct roster adjustments, they will be much better equipped to handle a series with the Heat.  They weren’t far off this time, but the road to the Finals now goes through South Beach, and the Bulls will be looking forward to the return trip.