"The Bulls don't need to replace Carlos Boozer. They need to reinvent him.

Though Boozer obviously is hampered by a turf toe injury, he still has value to the Bulls. But not as a low-post back-to-the-basket scorer. Josh Smith made that point pretty clear in Game 2 of the Bulls' Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at the United Center.

Until the Bulls realize this, they're still going to have a Carlos Boozer problem whether they want to acknowledge it or not. It's up to them to stop using him as if he were 100 percent. Let's face it, he can't do what he does best.

Asked if his problem scoring inside was due more to the injury, the Hawks' defense or his own poor performance, Boozer said, ''They're playing good D. But I don't have the lift I used to have. But I'm going to play through it.''

There's the rub. If Boozer — who scored eight points on 4-of-12 shooting in the Bulls' 86-73 victory that tied the series 1-1 — continues to play like he's used to playing, he's better off not playing at all. The Hawks are inviting him to back in on their big men, just so Smith can swat the eventual shot and start a fast break. It looks awkward, it's not working and it's helping to discombobulate the Bulls' offense — they don't know how to play off of it.

And the fans know it, which only exacerbates the problem. Though Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah expressed disappointment that the United Center crowd booed Boozer in Game 2, you have to give the fans credit for their patience. When Boozer was replaced by Taj Gibson with 1:22 left in the first quarter after going scoreless (0-for-2, including a missed chippie off a rebound), the fans didn't boo Boozer, but they gave a noticeably hearty hand for Gibson."