If the Bulls don't win a title, is this year a waste? Yes.

The NBA can change on a dime. Teams rise and fall. Derrick Rose could blow out a knee. The Heat could decide to play like a team and lock down the NBA for the next decade. The Knicks could start playing up to their payroll.

This is the year.

The Bulls have been underachieving for far too long. Early exits are the norm. And that has to stop.

The team has a legitimate MVP candidate in Rose. They've been rolling around with high draft picks for years. And we have precious little to show for it.

This is the perfect year to make a run. The Celtics are old. The Heat haven't gelled. The Magic's rotating roster leaves them without chemistry. Carmelo and the Knicks are a backsliding mess. The East is wide open.

The favorites in the West have their share of issues too. The Lakers have been playing lights-out since the All-Star break, but they don't have the hunger or the edge they've had in years past.

Age is a factor. Look at San Antonio and you see another old team. Everyone else in the West has significant roster holes.

The Bulls have experience. They have youth. They have depth. It's the perfect combination. It's time to make the run. Do or die. Championship or bust.

Ben Bowman is a Chicago comedy writer, improviser, actor and director.

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