NP: Pixies, Wave Of Mutilation: Best of Pixies

The Sun-Times is touting this year's Bulls team as potentially the worst NBA team ever, but I think they're way off the mark. Yeah, I might be basing too much of this on that failed comeback against the Nets in their opening game, but I really think it'll finally come together this season.

Of course, all that really means in the real world is that they might actually contest for one of the last two spots in the playoffs. With a baby team, you have to expect baby steps.

As we saw this year with the Fire, relying heavily on rookies only really works when those rookies can get familiar with each other's tendencies during actual games. For whatever reason, just practicing together doesn't cut it. So, with very few other options for coach Scott Skiles, I figure that the kids will be forced to figure it out.

In their second or third game, against the Phoenix Suns, the Bulls simply weren't hitting shots. They were getting good looks, but weren't quite prepared for what they had to do next. That's something they can learn, and when they do, there are some guys who look like they're legitimate threats. And the fact that the team is no longer pretending third-tier vets like Ron Mercer, Kendall Gill and Eddie Robinson can provide leadership can only help.

While I'm still not expecting a return to the glory days any time soon, I also don't think things are as bad as they look right now. Despite an 0-4 start leading into a historically futile road trip, I truly think this squad has enough talent and enough fight in them to turn it around. Possibly with the exception of Eddy Curry, but that's another topic altogether.