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Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at each player on the Bulls roster and see where they fit in for the future.

Joakim Noah

Position: Center | Age: 27 | 2011-12 salary: $10 million

Season recap: Noah's season was full of ups and downs. At the beginning of the year, he struggled to find his form playing alongside Carlos Boozer and admitted that the pressure of playing under his new $60 million contract was getting to him at times. He looked frustrated on the floor and seemed hesitant to knock down his "tornado" jump shot after dealing with injuries throughout last season. By February, Noah looked more comfortable on the floor and much more confident finding his own offense. He really hit his groove in the last two weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs before going down because of badly sprained ankle in Game 3 of the 76ers series. The good news for Noah and the Bulls was that after missing a combined 62 games over the past two seasons, he missed just two regular season games this year.

Season highlight: Noah's best all-around game came Feb. 22 against the Milwaukee Bucks when he had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. His play in the postseason was inspired, and he gave the Bulls everything he had, averaging almost 14 points and 10 rebounds a game before his ankle injury.

Season lowlight: Noah's struggles in the early part of the season were jarring, especially given how well he had played at the beginning of last season. But his lowlight came during Game 3 of their first-round series against the 76ers. Late in the third quarter, Noah raced down the floor on a fast break and ended up rolling his left foot on Sixers guard Andre Iguodala's foot. Noah returned to the game, but the image of him limping up and down the floor before being taken out is something that will stick with Bulls fans all summer. He didn’t see the floor again despite trying to warm up and play before Game 6.

Notes: Tom Thibodeau noted something during the season that any Bulls fan has known for years: The Bulls' players take plenty of cues from Noah. When he plays with energy, the rest of the team usually does as well. When he doesn't, his teammates look flat, especially early in games. "He's got to be ready from the start," Thibodeau said after an April 8 loss to the New York Knicks. "He's got to bring energy. When you're an energy player, you've got to bring it every game. He's shown that when he plays with great energy he's terrific and when he's playing with great energy, we're playing with great energy. But it wasn't only him, it was our entire team."

Quotable: "I think the unfortunate part of this year is that we don't know … we didn't measure up against the teams that we wanted to measure up against. But I think that, I personally believe that this group could compete against anybody. We had tough breaks throughout the year and that's unfortunate but it's also part of the game. You learn from being injured, you learn from the hard times that will make the good times even better." -- Noah, last Friday after his exit interview with Bulls' executives.

What's next?: Noah is going to play for Team France in the Olympics this summer and will be headed over to Europe soon to begin training. It's an experience he has been looking forward to for years, but he understands he has to do his best to stay healthy. He made note of his continued ankle problems after his exit interview last week. "I've got to strengthen my ankles," he said. "Too many ankle injuries throughout the years. I've got to strengthen up my ankles." Noah will continue to work out with his trainer Alex Perris throughout the summer and understands he will have to take on an even bigger role on both ends of the court with Derrick Rose and possibly Luol Deng out at the beginning of next season.

FINAL GRADES -- Regular season: B- | Postseason: A

CHICAGO -- With the Chicago Bulls on the brink of a season-ending collapse, Luol Deng stepped up and showed he has more than enough ligaments to shoot with.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Tom Thibodeau Coaching Robot’s mantra, “We’ve got more than enough to win with,” you probably didn’t laugh at that joke. If you’re sick of hearing Thibodeau say those words after the soul-crushing loss of Derrick Rose and a mind-numbing three-game losing streak, you probably winced at it.

But ThibsBot doesn't lie. Or if he does, he believes it. The losing streak is over and despite another late Ankle Moment, the half-dead Bulls are still alive in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers after a non-artful 77-69 win at the United Center on Tuesday night.

Just when everyone had finished their obituaries.

Deng, hampered for more than half of the season with a torn ligament in his left hand, has battled through pain to try and erase any lingering, if not misguided, notion that he’s a soft player. But it wasn't just about Deng's reputation. He wanted to play, rather than get surgery, because Deng knew this was going to be a special season. And it almost was. Now the O'Brien Trophy is out of reach, but the Bulls want to keep playing out of stubborn pride. Forget the beach, give them Philly and then Boston or Atlanta.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah shot free throws without a brace on his sprained left ankle at shootaround and is a game-time decision for Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Poor Rip Hamilton. He gets no burn in the fourth quarter and the Chicago Bulls make him address the media on an off-day.

A day after sitting out the majority of the fourth for the third time in four games of the most depressing series since "Twin Peaks," Hamilton was trotted out as designated veteran to appease a press corps that is ready and willing to give his team their last rites.

"Right now it's live or die," Hamilton said at the Berto Center. "It's win or go home. It makes the game more challenging. It makes it better, I think, because you're not looking to another game. This has to be the game."

Inspired yet?

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PHILADELPHIA -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah turned his left ankle during the third quarter of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Kyle Korver felt the same way most Chicago Bulls' fans did late Sunday night.

As the veteran sharpshooter slipped on his red and blue socks, he tried to process everything that just occurred late in his team's 100-94 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons, in which for the second game in a row the Bulls snatched a win from the jaws of defeat by making several key plays in the waning moments.

"I'm not sure how we won that game to be honest with you," Korver said. "I think it says a lot about [our team]. Every night it's someone else. C.J. [Watson] hits [the big shot] the other night, Derrick [Rose] hits it tonight, obviously. Lots of guys have hit big shots or made big plays for us. That says a lot about our team."

But, like his hard-charging coach, Tom Thibodeau, Korver is also a realist. He knows the Bulls have to start playing better, more consistent basketball in order to get ready for the playoff games that are quickly approaching at the end of the month.

"We don't want to keep putting ourselves in this position," Korver said. "Because the odds aren't really in your favor to keep pulling out the wins ... we're taking advantage of the opportunities given to us, but we've got to play a better 48-minute game."

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NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose dressed quietly in front of his locker stall in the bowels of Madison Square Garden late Sunday afternoon. He scrolled through messages on his cell phone before finally starting to put on his clothes. Kyle Korver sat on the other side of the room in disbelief. He stared off into space. A few moments later, Joakim Noah sat up against the wall in his locker stall and looked up toward a teammate.

"I'm [upset]," he said.

That summed up the feeling in the Chicago Bulls' locker room after a 100-99 heartbreaking overtime loss to the New York Knicks. Rose, Korver, Noah, they all knew they could have played a lot better and that's what made this particular defeat so difficult to swallow.

"We had to make a lot of mistakes there to lose that game, and we did," Korver said. "We did. We made a lot of mistakes. We gave them certain shots, we missed some free throws, I missed a 3. We had a lot of opportunities to put the game away and each one of them went their way. We got to learn from it."

It's rare to see words like that after a team comes back from a 21-point deficit, but it was apropos on this day. After getting completely outworked for most of the first half, the Bulls clawed their way back and managed to establish a 10-point lead with 3:45 left to play in fourth quarter. That's when the Bulls are supposed to be at their best, but, this time, that's when things completely fell apart. The Bulls couldn't find any kind of rhythm late and didn't score another point in regulation. Rose, who was playing in his first game in nearly a month because of a groin injury, and Luol Deng each missed two free throws and mentally the Bulls never quite recovered.

"We beat ourselves," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

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NEW YORK -- Let's take a quick look at how the New York Knicks knocked off the Chicago Bulls 100-99 in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

How it happened: After sitting on the bench for 12 straight games because of a groin injury, Derrick Rose almost pulled off a triumphant return against the Knicks, but it wasn't meant to be. Carmelo Anthony knocked down a game-winning three pointer with 8.2 seconds remaining in overtime. Rose scored 29 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists, but the Bulls didn't make enough plays at the end of the game to win. Carlos Boozer had 13 points and 16 rebounds. Luol Deng added 13 points, but it was Anthony who shined brightest with a game-high 43.

What it means: After coming all the way back from a 21-point deficit, it's hard to believe the Bulls actually gave this one away but that's what they did. They had a chance to close this game out several times, but they couldn't do it. Anthony’s three that tied the game up late in regulation came after Rose and Deng each missed two free throws. The Bulls will kick themselves when they watch tape of this one. Tom Thibodeau didn't want to overwork Rose in his return, but Rose ended up playing 39 minutes. It will be interesting to see how he fares later in the week.

Bold play of the game: With just 8.2 seconds left, Anthony did what the Bulls couldn't do in this one: Hit a clutch shot.

Stat of the night: Anthony had 43 points on the Bulls' vaunted defense.

What's next: The Bulls face off against the Knicks again on Tuesday night at the United Center.

CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the Chicago Bulls earned a win over the Detroit Pistons -- their 14th straight -- 83-71 on Friday night at the United Center.

How it happened: Playing without Derrick Rose (groin) and Rip Hamilton (shoulder) yet again, the rest of the Bulls' stars led the way on this night. Luol Deng had 20 points and nine rebounds, Joakim Noah added 19 points and 12 rebounds while Carlos Boozer added 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls offense didn't have much rhythm in the game, but the defense was solid when it had to be.

What it means: Whenever the Bulls pick up a victory without Rose they should feel good. They didn't play particularly well on this night, but they found a way to win and that has been a hallmark of Tom Thibodeau's team for the past two seasons. The Pistons shot just 37 percent from the field and struggled to get clean looks at the rim. That's a credit to the plan the Bulls had in place. They didn't have a lot of offensive firepower but they played solid defense most of the night, especially towards the end of the game.

Stats of the night: The Bulls out-rebounded the Pistons 53-37.

Bold play of the game: With his team leading by 10 points and just under a minute remaining, Noah drove down the side of the paint and stuffed home a major dunk over Pistons big man Jason Maxiell.

What's next: The Bulls have a showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon. With the way Derrick Rose looked before Friday night's game, it's hard to believe that he will be able to play.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Chicago Bulls set a franchise record low for points allowed in a regular season game during Monday night's 85-59 win over the Orlando Magic.

Their previous low came in 1997 when they gave up just 62 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. As usual, Tom Thibodeau and his players didn’t make a big deal of the accomplishment.

"I'm just happy with the win," Thibodeau said. "I thought our guys came out, played well. We had a lot of guys step up. I thought [John] Lucas was terrific. Carlos [Boozer] was great. Our big guys had a tough job with Dwight [Howard]; I thought [Joakim] Noah] battled, Omer [Asik] battled. I thought Taj [Gibson] in limited minutes rebounded the ball great. We had a lot of guys step up and play well ... we got a deep team and everybody stepped up."

Boozer, who had a team-high 24 points, was really happy with the way his team performed against the Magic, a team that beat the Bulls just a couple weeks ago in Chicago.

"It was just great defensive effort," Boozer said. "[The Magic] are one of those explosive teams that can run off four, five, six threes in a row and get right back in the game. So at halftime, even though we had a little bit of a cushion, we talked about that. I thought we did a good job of putting a hand in their face on the three point shots, on the three point shooters, and then go get the rebound, especially Dwight, so great defensive effort."

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CHICAGO -- Usually taking pictures in the Chicago Bulls locker room is frowned upon by the media relations staff, but when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shows up, exceptions are made.

Joakim Noah is glad that's the case. The Bulls center happily posed for a picture with the NBA Hall of Famer after Saturday night's win.

"I have unbelievable respect for Kareem," Noah said. "Somebody that I love following; my father followed him. And somebody who was not just a great ambassador on the basketball court, but off the basketball court as well. Did a lot of things for native Indians. He just came out with a documentary on the Harlem Rens. He's a historian and he's also a great friend of Arthur Ashe, who was a guy who found my father. So I have great respect for Kareem."

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CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and a bunch of other players most self-respecting New York fans couldn’t pick out of a lineup, defeated two superstars and a global sensation Monday night.

Except for the global sensation, it wasn’t a whole lot different than most nights for the Chicago Bulls this last year and a half.

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CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how Chicago Bulls earned a 104-99 win over the New York Knicks on Monday night at the United Center.

How it happened: Playing without Luol Deng (wrist), Rip Hamilton (shoulder) and C.J. Watson (ankle) once again, Derrick Rose gave the Bulls' offense the jolt it needed at various points throughout the night. The reigning MVP finished the game with 32 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Joakim Noah added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Taj Gibson may have played his best game of his season, scoring 15 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

What it means: When Rose sets his mind on doing something, opposing players should beware. Rose wanted to play well against Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin and that's exactly what he did late in this game. After getting off to a rocky start, Rose calmed himself down and started driving to the rim whenever he got the chance. His aggression paid off -- he was able to rack up big baskets and spread the floor out for the rest of his teammates. Lost in the glare of Rose's performance will be the play of Gibson. The backup forward continually made the hustle plays the Bulls needed and provided his usual solid defense late. This wasn't the prettiest of games, but the Bulls did what they had to do to pick up another win. It's a credit to the system that Tom Thibodeau put in place that the Bulls continue to find a way to win no matter who is on the floor. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Bulls have Rose -- who always seems to find a way to make a play when the Bulls need him the most.

Stats of the night: Rebounds: Bulls 56, Knicks 38. Offensive rebounds: Bulls 22, Knicks 9.

Bold play of the game: With 6:03 left in the fourth quarter and the Bulls hanging onto a five-point lead, Rose took a pass from Noah and zoomed towards the basket -- unleashing a ferocious slam dunk that will be replayed on SportsCenter throughout the night.

What's next: The Bulls go for their third win in a row against the Miami Heat. This figures to be a preview of the Eastern Conference finals and is a game the Bulls have been looking forward to for a while.

CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the Chicago Bulls earned a 92-72 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at the United Center.

How it happened: Luol Deng had 20 points and six rebounds to lead the Bulls to a victory they badly wanted. Derrick Rose added 13 points and nine assists while Joakim Noah had another big night scoring nine points and grabbing 17 rebounds. The biggest key for the Bulls on this night was the play of the Bench Mob. Led by Ronnie Brewer and John Lucas III, the group combined for 46 points and 25 rebounds.

What it means: Rose and his teammates wanted to send the Pacers a message for the way they celebrated after a win in the United Center in late January -- and that's exactly what they did. The Bulls absolutely dominated the second half. After starting the game off 1-for-10, Rose hit several shots early in the third quarter that changed the momentum of the game. Deng struggled from the floor at times as well, but he also made several big shots in the third. The Bulls' depth was the ultimate backbreaker for Indiana on this night. They had no answer for all the weapons Tom Thibodeau used throughout the night and it showed. Thibodeau will try to spin this as being “just another game” for his team, but his players felt differently and it showed in the final 24 minutes.

Stats of the night: The Bulls outscored the Pacers 33-13 in the third quarter. ... The Bulls out-rebounded the Pacers 60-32. ... The Bulls’ starters scored 46 points and the Bench Mob scored 46.

Bold play of the game: Deng made back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the third quarter, the second of which came with 4:56 left, giving the Bulls a 13-point lead.

What's next: The Bulls have a day off before facing the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. They'll be looking for their eighth win in a row.

CHICAGO -- The last time the Indiana Pacers were in town, they scored a rare victory at the United Center. And they celebrated it a little too much for some of the Chicago Bulls’ liking.

"Derrick [Rose] gets hype off people celebrating," Joakim Noah said Sunday night in Philadelphia. "When people talk about celebration I just feel like, 'You're not going to out-celebrate me.' Roy Hibbert cannot out-celebrate me. So if they want to see some celebration when we win, I can show them some celebration ... I know how to celebrate."

Now it is the Pacers who are annoyed the Bulls are talking too much about the Pacers’ celebrating too much.

This is becoming quite a rivalry.

“It’s fine,” Hibbert said. “We don’t do a lot of talking or anything like that. We just go out there and play our game and if they want to talk, that’s fine. We’re just focused on winning.”

Can Noah, the fun-loving, finger-gun-shooting bon vivant, out-celebrate the stoic giant Hibbert? Is that even a question?

“That’s fine with me,” said Hibbert, who made his first All-Star team this year. “My thing is to go out there and play hard and help my team win. He could talk whatever he wants to talk. He’s a good player, but we’re focused on one thing, that’s winning.”

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