"In the wake of the Bulls' big Game 5 win, here are two important developments that ought to serve the Bulls well as they move forward.

1. The Carlos Boozer controversy is going to heat up, but it shouldn't.

The Boozer bashers are going to clamor for Taj Gibson to be on the floor more. That's understandable after Taj played a monster fourth quarter, delivering 11 points and uncountable energy.

But that doesn't mean Taj should play ahead of Boozer, who brings different things to the equation. Where Taj is more mobile, Boozer is a better post presence. He's also a veteran who's going to give you what he's got. Better to let Taj dart in than to put the weight of the world on him from the start.

Especially because he's banged up, Boozer might not be effective in some situations. That's fine. Then you go to Gibson. But Boozer is the first option. When he and Derrick Rose are in synch offensively, that's big for the Bulls. And Boozer vs. say, Miami, is a whole different deal than Boozer vs. Indiana or Atlanta.

Interestingly, Boozer doesn't seem at all threatened by the rise of Taj. Then again, $15 million a year is a nice security blanket.

2. By playing Gibson, Ronnie Brewer and Omer Asik with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Tom Thibodeau showed me a lot.

Long apprenticeship or not, he's still a rookie head coach who has been more secure with predictable veterans, as evidenced by his increasing reluctance to go to his bench since the playoffs began.

Against the athletic and skilled but spacy Hawks, the bench gambit was absolutely the right move. The Bulls' reserves not only had young, fresh legs. Their energy gave the Bulls a boost when they needed it most.

Make no mistake. When we look back at the fourth quarter of Game 5, it will loom large, perhaps the pivotal moment in this playoff run. Lose that quarter, and you're heading to Atlanta down 3-2, your backs to the wall."