ESPN.com's Bill Simmons provides a rundown of each NBA team. Here's his comment on the Bulls:

22. Chicago
Here's one of the underrated sports stories of 2006: What about the Bulls' acquiring Tim Thomas, burying him on the bench, then telling him to just go home while they try to trade him ... even though he's making $14 million this season. Has anyone ever made more money for doing nothing? Shouldn't magazines be assigning writers to hang out with him, just to see what he does every day? If he's making $14 million, that means he's getting a check for about $525,000 every two weeks (minus taxes). Would you even work out if you were him?

(Note: I would go back to Villanova, start taking second-semester classes, join a frat and throw lavish keg parties every weekend. In fact, why couldn't they remake "Back to School" about an NBA player making $14 million a year who gets buried by his team, then decides to go back to college to finish his degree? Somebody get Omar Epps on the phone!)

Yep, sums it up nicely. There hasn't been much excitement with this year's team on the court; might as well talk about what's gone on off the court.

And, yet, in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls sit just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, and just 4 games out of the 5th seed.