We have been talking in the blogs about how long it has been since the Bulls won 5 in a row on the road. We have members who are deeply unimpressed with Joakim Noah even though he continues to rank as one of the top 4 centers in the NBA. There are those here who think that Vinny Del Negro would better serve the mighty game of basketball by becoming a waiter in a psuedo-trendy Italian cafe. Preferably one that takes American Express. There are those who think that Gar is a stupid name for a human being since it is such an ugly fish. Clearly, anyone so poorly christened must be a disaster waiting to happen.

And yet .....

I’ll let JOHN JACKSON at the Sun Times fill in the rest of that sentence fragment.

After 13 days, eight flights, seven games, three time zones and a host of bus rides, the Bulls finally arrived home early Saturday. Forward Luol Deng no doubt summed up the feelings of everyone in the team’s traveling party.

‘’I haven’t missed home as much as I have this trip,’’ Deng said. ‘’I don’t know why, but I’m just looking forward to going home.’’

But after dropping the first two games against teams with losing records, the Bulls bounced back with five victories in a row against teams with winning records in the tough Western Conference.

It’s the first time the Bulls have won five consecutive games on the same road trip since 1997. According to ESPN, it’s the first time in NBA history a team has won five road games in a row against teams with winning records.

That type of road success would be impressive for a title contender. It’s downright mind-boggling for a developing team that until recently struggled to win away from home.

‘’Hopefully, there’s some growth there in the development of the players,’’ Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. ‘’Like I’ve always said, players win games. They made the plays when we had to, and I’m proud of them for that.’’

Since dropping to 10-17 a little more than a month ago, the Bulls have gone 13-5 to improve to 23-22. It’s the first time they’ve been above .500 since mid-November.

Although point guard Derrick Rose has stepped up and is playing at a level worthy of an All-Star berth, the Bulls’ success has been a team effort. Joakim Noah has battled injury to keep registering double-doubles, Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons are playing well alongside Rose, Deng is providing scoring and rebounding and Brad Miller suddenly has come to life to perform like he did down the stretch last season.

‘’We’re not surprised at our turnaround,’’ Rose said after the Bulls rallied for a 108-106 overtime victory Friday against the New Orleans Hornets. ‘’We’re playing good basketball, hanging in there throughout the whole game. We’re sticking with tough teams that are usually over .500.’’

And showing remarkable mental toughness, especially for a team that usually wilted under pressure early in the season.

Keep in mind that this team was subjected to Kirk Hinrich’s, ill conceived, experiment entitled HOW TO POISON ALL YOUR TEAMMATES IN ONE DAY OR LESS to start this trip. They were further hampered by several injuries including Noah’s balky heel that hurt so bad he pulled himself out of a game just prior to tip off.

And yet ....

They just kept winning.

While I am a fan of this team, and an unabashed supporter of its coach, had you told me a month ago that this team would set an NBA record for the most consecutive wins against teams with winning records, I would have personally taken you to get your meds upped. Dramatically.

And yet ...

That is exactly what they did.

This team has suffered through more than its fair share of adversity this season but not once has a player complained. Not once has the coach used any of it as an excuse. Nor has he thrown anyone under the proverbial, and ubiquitous, bus. And, trust me on this one, each and every one of them has had a valid opportunity to do so. That is why I like this team and its coach. They do not air any gripes or grievances. They deal with whatever needs to be dealt with in the locker room and not in the tabloids.

People tend to forget that this team, and its coach, gave the Boston Celtics a run for their lives in the playoffs last year. It is widely considered one of the best NBA playoff series ever seen. If they can get to a higher seed this year, and not draw the #1 team in the nation right out of the box, then who’s to say that this team can’t go deep in the playoffs?

Assuming that Hinrich doesn’t try another experiment, that is.

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