It is important to note that EVERY time the Chicago Bulls have taken a lead into the fourth quarter on their home court of the United Center, EVERY TIME, they've gone on to win the game. Am I going to take that as an indicator that the painful rebuilding years are over? Well, yes and no. I've been paying closer attention to the team since Bill Cartwright took over as coach, and things are definitely looking up. But if organizations do win championships, there's still some organizing to do.

As skeptical as I was when it first went down, trading for Jalen Rose was a good move. I hated to see Ron Artest leave, but finally the Bulls had a leader. Then, two important things happened. First, center/power forward Donyell Marshall was picked up in the off-season. Then, GM Jerry Krause finally drafted someone other than a power forward, Duke point guard Jay Williams. While not as raw as Eddy Curry or Tyson Chandler, Williams still needs some polishing, but finally, there seems to be an actual nucleus to this team. You've got head (Williams), heart (Rose) and muscle (Marshall) to help keep the ship sailing straight, plus some veteran leadership from the latter two. Having a go-to guy in Rose who isn't afraid to demand the ball when his team needs help is one of those things you didn't realize they were missing until he starting doing it. Once Chandler and/or Curry mature, the team only needs a solid starting 2-guard to make the next move up from the middle of the pack.

Which is good. Cartwright is someone that I believe should succeed as a coach, and he's starting to get the tools to do just that.

Yes, I understand that I followed the death penalty with basketball. It's my website.