With Carlos Boozer, you have to take the good with the bad. So let's start off with the bad.
1-11. Three points. That was Carlos Boozer's final game in a Bulls uniform for the 2011-2012 basketball season. In Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers and facing elimination, Boozer went out and had his worst game ever for Chicago at the worst possible time.
He followed that up with his now infamous quote, “I thought I played well, especially with the kind of season it was. We had the best record again in basketball, won our division again, had the top seed again, that's all that matters, yo,” when asked to assess the Bulls season after being eliminated at the hands of the Sixers.
But to his credit, Carlos was actually right. Well, almost.
He did play well this season. He was one of only three players to appear in all 66 games of the season and the only starter to do so. He averaged 15 points and 8.5 rebounds this season while shooting 53 percent from the field. His best game of the regular season was most likely his 23-point, 15-rebound outing against the Boston Celtics in the United Center while shooting 11-15 from the field.
His worst regular season outing? His two points on 1-4 shooting from the field against the rival Miami Heat in March, a game that the Bulls were fortunately able to win. Boozer had some other bad games this season as well. He failed to score in double figures in 10 outings this season, but yes, for the most part Carlos Boozer did play well this season
The Bulls also had the best record in basketball, won the Central Division and had the top seed in the playoffs, but that's not all that matters. Not by a long shot.
Local
Injuries all but derailed any chance Chicago had of winning a championship this year, we all know that. Still the Bulls were supposed to have enough to get by the Sixers and at the very least force a Game 7. But when one of your highest paid players doesn't step up in the most important game of the season, any criticism that comes from that is well deserved.
Carlos Boozer will be back in uniform next year and with Derrick Rose out, he will have to be the focal point of the offense which puts even more pressure on him to perform. If he does, he'll have an opportunity at redemption and win the hearts of Bulls fans. But if he doesn't, he may hear “amnesty” chants rain down on him in the United Center.
Grade: B
