Unsurprisingly enough, the best team free agency could buy is now one game away from the NBA Finals.
There have been a few instances in this series and throughout the playoffs where the Miami Heat have looked like the team many envisioned them to be — a team that is near-impossible to stop.
But the greatness of LeBron James' and Dwyane Wade's "Heatles" is not the reason why Miami is poised to go to the game's biggest stage following Tuesday's 101-93 overtime win, putting the series at 3-1.
No, the real reason is the growing pains of their opponent.
Don't get me wrong, the Heat's stars have been stellar. But let's be honest: the two teams left (that almost everyone who's not from Miami or Dallas are rooting for) are standing on the brink of elimination for the same reason — inexperience. Sure, you could dissect it and break it down much further than that. But if you want the plain and simple explanation for what's going on with the Bulls and Thunder, it's inexperience.
Both the Mavericks and the Heat have gotten quality production from their star players and have out-coached their opponents. But on the flip side of the equation in Chicago and Oklahoma City, what you have is two stars (Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose), two supporting casts, and two coaches (Scott Brooks and Tom Thibodeau) who aren't yet up to the task.
Think back to the most famous Chicago Bull of them all. We all remember Michael Jordan's six championships in eight years, but what we don't recall as quickly are the struggles the Bulls and Jordan had with the Pistons and other teams in the late 80s en route to becoming one of the greatest dynasties ever.
Failure and success in the playoffs alike are what make the great players who they are. Jordan fed off of his failure and used it.
Should the Bulls in fact lose this series, Rose will have plenty of motivational material going into the offseason, including Tuesday's air ball at the end of regulation with a chance to win and head back to Chicago with home court.
Therein lies the real truth to the situation — Rose himself isn't quite prepared to take this team to that level.
It's been impressive enough where the MVP has taken his Chicago club this season, but this stage is a whole different beast, and despite still being brilliant at times, the star point guard has struggled mightily and has a lot of growing to do in regards to playoff pedigree.
Sure, the Bulls' entire roster has some growing to do. Carlos Boozer has to improve his defensive play. That growth had better be fast; fast as in before Thursday's Game 5, but the brunt of the "learning on the fly" needs to be done by Rose.
He's the only one that can pull this series out of its nosedive.
The Bulls' woes, especially in the fourth quarter, are what's keeping the team from pulling a very attainable upset. The Heat are good, and it's always scary when they're clicking on all cylinders, but they're not exactly dominating a team that seems bent on beating itself at certain points of these contests.
The series is pretty much over. It's not done, because two of the improbable three games in a row the Bulls would need to sweep are at home. And they do have the MVP and an infinitely deeper bench.
But the questions remain: Will the Bulls make the right adjustments? More importantly, will Rose have a midweek playoff coming of age?
I wouldn't put it past him, and with the Bulls staring down Miami, led by playoff-tested players like Wade and James, it's the biggest storyline left, as the series flirts with its end.
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