CHICAGO – Sliding into head-shaking lapses in effort, struggling to adapt to a new scheme while fending off the fatigue from the previous regime, the Chicago Bulls are a team in transition, sputtering along as they seek a new identity with a familiar cast of characters. The Bulls' problems have been masked by superior talent, which has allowed them to win enough fool's-gold games to remain relevant in an improved Eastern Conference. So far, the experience has come with little satisfaction as the victories have been joyless and losses have generated more doubt about their ultimate destination.

View photos Jimmy Butler criticized Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg for being too laid back. (Getty Images) More

Despite a disappointing surrender to LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova last postseason, Bulls vice president John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman decided to make one more run with a roster whose longtime core – fueled by Joakim Noah's spirit and the hopeful return of Derrick Rose's ghost – might've already exceeded its expiration date. They replaced the heavy-handed Tom Thibodeau with the more easygoing Fred Hoiberg, were encouraged by Rose finishing a season healthy for the first time since winning the MVP in 2011 and banked on the continued ascension of Jimmy Butler.

Some resistance and rheumatic pain should be expected before any resurgence, considering all of the factors in play for the Bulls. But Butler's criticism of Hoiberg for being too "laid back" and not coaching the players hard enough – 25 games into the season – after Saturday's loss in New York revealed the uneasy shift from Thibodeau and how moving forward might also eventually require more dramatic change with regard to personnel.

Frustration and confusion have consumed a team with a rookie NBA coach trying to strike the balance between imposing his system while being flexible to established veterans; a point guard with hazy vision in one eye and an even hazier outlook in regaining his footing as an elite player; a relentless rising star who wishes the team had more like-minded go-hards; and an emotional leader – perhaps exhausted from years of overuse – who has been reluctantly pushed into a reserve role in a contract year.

"We're searching, but I think we're growing," Noah told Yahoo last week. "Guys' roles are changing. Just got to get used to it and come with the right attitude. It's tough sometimes to get out of yourself for the team and I think that's where we're at right now."

Rose still a Rose?

The Bulls' identity crisis begins with their most recognizable player, Rose, whose days as a dynamic, athletically overwhelming talent appear to be behind him despite being an age – 27 – when most stars are in their primes. Rose seemingly turned a corner last postseason with a handful of flashback performances. But this season, he has been sporadic and lacked that joyful passion that resulted in him becoming the youngest MVP in league history.

While an incredible honor, that award also serves as a curse, with Rose's attempts to return to that status interrupted annually by some unfortunate injury. After a second straight summer of decent health spent focusing on regaining his explosiveness, Rose broke the orbital bone in his face on the first practice of training camp and returned before the season opener despite double vision in his left eye. His eyesight has improved slightly – "It's still healing," he told Yahoo – but his play has remained confounding and inconsistent. Rose claims the hurdle hasn't been physical or mental, but one that comes from adjusting to more skilled teammates.

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