Still bullish on Chicago

Turns out Andrew Bynum isn't fat anymore. Tonight he got his first meaningful minutes in the 4th quarter for LA, and with less than a minute left and down by 1, Smush Parker dumped the ball to Bynum for a crucial shot. Unfortunately, he had to shoot it over Tyson Chandler, who went straight up for the kind of humilating rejection some guys don't get over their entire career.

There's nothing shocking about saying the Lakers suck. Kobe blew up tonight and they still got punked in their own gym, scoring only a single point in the last 4 minutes. But the other team had something to do with that. For some reason, though, no one wants to take the Bull seriously. After their solid OT loss to San Antonio, we pimped them as viable contenders for the Junior Conference crown. Today we go farther: the Bulls will win the East, either this year or next.

If I could build a contending team, I'd want a beast patrolling the paint, a guy who boards and blocks with ferocity. I'd want a backcourt of interchangeable shooters who can handle the rock and penetrate. I'd want my small forward to be a slasher and outstanding perimeter defender. I'd want my power forward to be a burly putback machine. Throw in a bench with an unconscious gunner, some hustle guys, and Eric Piatkowski's haircut, and I'd be one happy GM.

I'm guessing John Paxson knows the feeling.

Hinrich, Duhon, and Gordon in back. Deng and Nocioni on the wing. Sweetney and Songaila down low. And Chandler lurking. Where's the weakness? It's a small backcourt, I suppose, but Chandler compensates around the rim. They lack an obvious franchise player but have a clear, efficient rotation in which everyone knows his role and dedicates himself to it. They could probably use more seasoning.

In the end, if those are the worst things you can say about a squad, you probably have to consider them "for real." They look at least as real as those Motor City impersonators the Mavs blew out by 37 Saturday night. And if I were Joe Dumars, I'd trade Flip Saunders for Scott Skiles in a Detroit second. A good coach goes a long way in closing that seasoning gap, and with Larry Brown flaming out in NYC, the Pistons lost an edge that won't become apparent until May. When it does, don't be surprised if the Bulls are the ones who expose it.