For long stretches Friday night, it seemed difficult to ascertain whether the Bulls were playing a preseason or elimination game.
And not just because of the lack of defensive intensity early but, in a more foreboding sign for the future, because of the lineup: Two rookies who have been in and out of the rotation in Paul Zipser and Denzel Valentine and a second-year player in Bobby Portis who couldn't crack the rotation until Taj Gibson got traded.
That was in the second quarter, back before the game got out of hand. The Celtics' blowout victory later called for more of the same _ a fourth-quarter lineup featuring Zipser, Valentine, Portis, Michael Carter-Williams and Joffrey Lauvergne.
The future is what's next after the Celtics ended the Bulls' 2016-17 campaign with their 105-83 cakewalk, storming back with four straight victories after Rajon Rondo fractured his thumb to win the series 4-2.
It's the third time in four years the Bulls' postseason ended in flameout fashion on the United Center floor; they didn't qualify last season.
Whether they will next season depends on an offseason filled with big decisions. Dwyane Wade has a player option on whether to return. The Bulls hold a team option with a $3 million buyout on Rondo. And Jimmy Butler, who gutted his way through a sore knee to score 23 points, landed in trade talks both last June and this February.
The Bulls greatly value the elite two-way talents of the three-time All-Star Butler, who wants to stay in Chicago. Following last month's trade with the Thunder, management told Butler they'd discuss his and the team's future with him at season's end. And Butler is close with team president Michael Reinsdorf.
But they remain organizationally aligned to, yes, getting younger and more athletic. That's why, as of now, all options remain on the table. And while Butler returning is more likely than not, management also must weigh him possibly being in line for a designated player exception that would call for five years, $200-plus million when he's nearing 30.
With Butler receiving near round-the-clock treatment for a knee he knocked against a Celtic in the second half of Game 4 and Wade receiving trainer's attention on the bench for the same right arm in which he fractured his elbow on March 15, the Bulls looked anything but athletic.
Wade endured a brutal close to his first season in a Bulls uniform, missing nine of 10 shots and later rolling his left ankle. His two points tied his career-low for the playoffs.
Citing his team's typical 3-point proficiency that had lacked recently, Celtics coach Brad Stevens talked about water finding its level. The Bulls were drowned in a sea of Celtics' 3-pointers. Eight different players sank at least one as the Celtics shot 16 for 39 from beyond the arc.
The Bulls' defense lacked from the start. The first quarter featured uncontested 3-pointers and Celtics driving down the lane unimpeded for dunks. By the end of the third quarter, the crowd had seen enough, raining down boos. In the fourth, a "Fire Hoiberg" chant started.
In a perfect microcosm of the season, Jerian Grant entered during garbage time as the 13th man. Grant started Games 3 and 4.
But rotational upheaval proved the norm all season. That's why the offseason will prove so critical.
