"After Carlos Boozer's introductory news conference ended last July, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau stood in a Berto Center corner and feigned mock exasperation.

"You had to bring that up, didn't you?" Thibodeau said.

The subject was Boozer's ridiculously dominant 35-point, 14-rebound, five-assist performance in the Jazz's Game 7 road victory over a Jeff Van Gundy/Thibodeau-coached Rockets team May 5, 2007. Boozer's Jazz marched on to an eventual Western Conference finals berth. The Rockets went home.

"One of his great strengths in Utah was his ability to sprint up the floor," Thibodeau said last July. "Often, he would seal guys before the defense could get set and he would have a paint catch. So we'll stress that."

There are many things the Bulls are stressing for Boozer as they await their second-round opponent for an Eastern Conference semifinal series that will begin Monday at the United Center. But none of them involve dominance.

Get healthy. Avoid foul trouble. Find an offensive rhythm. Play defense.

Boozer, who suffered turf toe on his right big toe in Tuesday night's clinching Game 5 against the Pacers, somehow averaged a double-double of 10 points and 10.2 rebounds in the series. Those numbers pale in comparison to his career playoff averages of 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds in 44 games entering the 2011 playoffs.

They also fail to capture fully how little impact Boozer made save for a dominant double-double in Game 2. Early foul trouble plagued him throughout. And the painful turf toe, which Boozer said he never had experienced before, clouded his future."