"Expecting Carlos Boozer suddenly to manhandle the Hawks inside beginning Friday night in Atlanta is like thinking, this time, the ant will crush the shoe.

Be realistic. At this rate it might not end well for Boozer. Whether it's turf toe, a balky ankle, bad conditioning or all of the above, he stopped being a 20-point, 10-rebound machine in the second half of the season.

He hasn't scored more than 20 points since April 8 against the Cavaliers, 11 games ago. He has put together back-to-back 20-point games only once since Jan. 12. He has scored in single digits as often the past eight games as he has in double figures — four times apiece.

That's not Boozer being Boozer. That's Boozer being Tyrus Thomas.

A steady NBA veteran who began these playoffs with career averages of 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game has averaged a disappointing 10.3 and 10 this postseason.

As a result Boozer has seen — and heard — Bulls fans quickly turn on him in a way only past riches-to-rags local athletes such as Jacque Jones, Rex Grossman and Brian Campbell, et al, can relate. I bet there were people in the Loop still so annoyed Thursday with No. 5 it marred their Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Has Maurice Jones-Drew weighed in on Boozer's pain threshold yet?

To many people in a restless basketball city, all the evidence points to a player in decline. It looks to me more like a player infirm.

A 29-year-old who exploded for 30 or more points in three of six games during one midseason stretch didn't just get old and slow. A guy with 44 games' playoff experience didn't just cower at the sight of Josh Smith or Tyler Hansbrough.

To a man, Bulls players and coaches blame most of Boozer's inconsistency on accumulating health issues. If that plausible explanation indeed is true then the Bulls need to address it now. Don't put Boozer on the bench for Taj Gibson in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Put him in a fancy suit and make him watch from the Scalabrine seats with others on the inactive list."