The worst team in Chicago: Your Chicago Bulls

Think about it.

The Chicago White Sox and Cubs just came off first-round exits in the playoffs in a league much more difficult to qualify for the post-season; both are on the rise too.

The Chicago Bears, painful as they are, still had a winning season, and in the NFL anyone can be one season away from success (see 2008 New York Giants and 2009 Arizona Cardinals).

The Chicago Blackhawks are young, star-laden and one of the best teams in the NHL. They're so good, that they may have re-energized a city with hope for hockey again.

The Bulls...well, they've got Vinny DelNegro.

They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday in a 109-108 overtime choke-job. No how much analysis the game deserves, it comes down to one play--one play that can easily define the Vinny DelNegro era.

With 23.9 seconds left, the Bulls put Derrick Rose at the top of the key with the rest of the team at four corners. Fifteen seconds, 12, 11, 10, nine, eight--nothing. No movement. Just clock ticking and there was no backside motion. No one coming off screens.

It was obvious DelNegro wanted Rose to take the game winner and go to the hoop--not a bad suggestion when it's the best player on the team. He is already one of the most explosive players off the dribble in the NBA and would either draw a double team, which would free a great shooter like Ben Gordon, or get fouled.

Seven seconds, 6; then Rose finally starts, waives Gordon out of the way and rushes to the elbow to take a forced, off-balanced jumper and clangs it off the iron. Nothing.

Rose was raising his arms in frustration indicating that the play was broken and someone, rather numerous people, forgot their assignments. Later we see highlights of Gordon being out of place and Joakim Noah explaining himself as the team heads toward the bench to prepare for overtime.

Ladies and gentleman, your 2009 Chicago Bulls.

When your rookie 20-year-old point guard is the only player on the floor that has a clue, it's not going to be easy in a league where older teams, generally, win. Oh, how we ache for Scott Skiles.

The Bulls had numerous chances to go ahead in overtime with Rose taking a forced shot near the rim while double teamed, but to no avail. Aaron Gray and Luol Deng both had second-chance opportunities to tip the ball in. Al Jefferson slapped the fourth attempt out of there and...game, set, match.

Bulls have lost five in a row and have six more games in a row on the road. This is going to get worse people.

• There is no player that excites Bull fans more than the meek and mild Rose; yet they do realize his limitations without a killer jumpshot. As we've learned against the Charlotte Bobcats with Emeka Okafor and Orlando Magic with Dwight Howard, teams are prepared for the 20-year-old to attack the rim.

There should be plays where Gordon is prepared to shoot from the key. It makes sense that the team would collapse on Rose, and as a point guard, he could dish out wide to one of the league's best for an open shot. Making the game-winning assist is as important as the game-winning shot.

Point guards should do that after all.

It's all very exhausting. This team is not going to get bigger or better anytime soon. This is clear because they've provided another season-high night for a player in Al Jefferson. Mind you, Jefferson is arguably the league's most-underrated player. Unless he starts shoveling people's driveways in Minnesota, his celebrity won't soar anytime soon.

He bullied Noah for the entire game with 39 points. Other than the ocassional jumpshot, Jefferson simply backed down whomever was guarding him in the post and put on a clinic--he has Patrick Ewing strength with Hakeem Olajuwon feet.

So being beat by a player of Jefferson's skill is not as bad as say Josh Boone, but it might help to quickly double-team or switch to a zone since Minnesota shot terribly all night. Just saying.

Noah did compete, putting together seven blocks in the effort, but he's just too weak. It's obvious anyone with some power can muscle Noah into position. This was clear with the second-chance points as well.

Lifting. Running. Those are just things football players do in the off-season, not seven-footers with no offensive skill, apparently .

It's strange how things have turned for the Bulls in the last month. They didn't play well in December either, but managed to put together some wins in the muck. This team appears headed for more of the same mediocrity.

They're not bad enough for a high draft pick--no Black Griffin, no miracles.

Sometimes, the solution comes from within and that can be a simple as a running a play with 23.9 seconds to go and someone knowing where they need to be on the court.