NO BULLS MARKET IN CHICAGO.

Byline: JOE STEVENS NBA 

In Chicago, today is about guacamole, spinach dip, those glorious bread shells that kind of resemble coconuts and, of course, da Bears.

Although a lot of Chicagoans apparently had a difficult time embracing these Bears because of an erratic Rex Grossman and a cornucopia of previous sports agony, they will be in a tizzy over the big game, and thoughts of the Bulls will be far out of most minds.

Actually, in this post-Michael Jordan era, the Bulls are out of the minds of many Chicagoans, even when it's not Super Bowl Sunday. Ever since Jordan left them in 1998, the Bulls have solidified the idea that they will never be what they were with his Airness.

But could they ever?

The Bulls missed the playoffs in every post-Jordan season until the pasttwo, and in those, they lost in the first round. It's ``Operation: SecondRound'' in Chicago, and with a weak Eastern Conference, that goal looks reachable.

``It's `Operation: Position Yourself Better for the Playoffs,''' Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said. ``Last year, we didn't. We were a seventh seed and came on late to make the playoffs. Right now, we're in a position we've never really been in as an organization, at least since I've been here.''

That position is to be flirting with one of the top four seeds in the East and home-court advantage in the firstround, although it may be too early to start talking about that.

The big problem, though, is the Bulls' lack of a big man, which is completely ironic because of how they hyped Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry as the backbone of their franchise just a few years ago. They gave up on both and made a drastic mistake with Curry, who has flourished with the New York Knicks and would be an excellent fit for these current Bulls.

So Chicago is stuck, trying to find a big man, and general manager John Paxson reportedly is going hard at obtaining Memphis' Pau Gasol.

The only problem with that is there is no clear-cut deal that makes sense for both sides.

The reason the Bulls' record has been respectable this season is because of their backcourt of Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng.

Paxson would have to give up one of those guys, and maybe two, for Gasol.

``They're probably a low-post game away from knowing they can win the East,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said of the Bulls. ``They still could be able to win the East. But I think with a low-post game, they'd be really tough.''

Another problem is Ben Wallace, the rebounding machine who is among the most personable players in the league. Because of Wallace's lack of an offensive game -- he has averaged 6.5 points a game over 11 NBA seasons -- he hasn't been the greatest fit in Chicago.

Unlike his time in Detroit, Wallace doesn't have a big scoring threat on the inside in Chicago to complement his defense.

In some eyes, Wallace was tabbed as the four-year, $60 million piece to get the Bulls over the hump, a more proven player than Chandler and Curry and a wise all-around decision. That hasn't been the case -- so far.

``People think you just snap your fingers and sign somebody, and now you can take the next step and next step and next step,'' Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. ``And a lot of times it doesn't work that way.''

Yet another problem with the Bulls may be that expectations for the franchise, which got used to Jordan's amazement, are often too high. That looks like the case again, and Skiles sounds as if he is used to battling that.

``We've played so well the last twoyears with young players,'' he said. ``And if you look around the league this year, and if you look, historically, teams that play a lot of young players get beat. That's the nature of the NBA.''

So keep those expectations down.

Style doesn't translate: Skiles sounded brutally honest about his assessment of expectations and the Wallace signing, and in a league in which many coaches who take themselves too seriously, he is one of them.

When he played for Michigan State, Skiles made a name for himself as one of the most hard-nosed players in the game, frequently diving for balls and putting his body on the line. As a coach, that style doesn't necessarily translate. He comes off overly serious, like the perspective-lost title character in ``The Great Santini'' from the Pat Conroy book.

All-Snub Team: Every season, a handful of deserving players are left off the All-Star team. Carmelo Anthony has the biggest gripe this season because he wasn't selected, despite his leading the league in scoring.

A case has been made that Anthony's involvement in a brawl with the Knicks that resulted in a 15-game suspension was the reason he was snubbed. But in reality, he is simply part of a conference overflowing with excellent forwards.

Pretty much everyone selected by the coaches deserves to be there, although Amare Stoudemire got on the West squad because he is listed as a center, and in the East, Caron Butler is a borderline pick and could be on his first and only All-Star team.

But anyway, the All-Snub Team, in order and regardless of conference, is: Carmelo Anthony, Elton Brand, Josh Howard, Ray Allen and Ben Gordon.

Will Chicago win? I've learned that some fans who follow the NBA loathe the NFL, and vice versa. So with the exception of Super Bowl Sunday, I do not mix talk of the leagues.

I also have learned never to make predictions on how games will finish because nobody knows and those who pretend to know are charlatans.

However, I can say that it would be a surprise to see Grossman as the winning quarterback in the Super Bowl. Therefore, because expected things never happen, the Bears could be a lock.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1) Ben Wallace has added toughness to the Chicago Bulls, but not enough offensive production.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

(2) Miami's Dwyane Wade scored 24 points in the fourth quarter Thursday against Cleveland.

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

(3) PAU GASOL

Box:

(1) DAILY NEWS CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER

- Ross Siler

(2) THEY SAID IT

(3) PLAYER, COACH, AUTHOR

(4) BAD SEASON MADE WORSE

(5) THIS WEEK'S BEST BET