By Brian A. Lester

Take a trip with me several years into the future and imagine a celebration inside the United Center on a warm pre-summer night in June. Picture Jay Williams dribbling the ball near the top of the key as the final seconds evaporate off of the clock in the seventh game of the NBA Finals.

Picture Jalen Rose, the veteran once traded to this desolate franchise from Indiana, wearing a huge smile and pumping his fists in the air.

Picture Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, the two former high school draft picks who drew waves of criticism from fans and the media, dancing wildly on the press table.

Then picture coach Bill Cartwright feeling a sense of pride in the fact that he did what no one ever thought was possible, and that is turn Chicago into a champion again.

The fans are loving this moment. The crowd is in a frenzy and cheering at jet-engine volume, confetti is starting to rain down from the ceiling and flashbulbs are going off in all directions.

Yes, it's true. The Bulls are the champions of the NBA, surviving a thrilling series with the Los Angeles Clippers. The feeling is indescribable and the sour memories of the post-Michael Jordan era are gone forever.

Such a wonderful thought, isn't it?

OK, you can return to the present now. The Bulls are not champions -- at least not yet -- but there is hope that they very well could be before the decade is over.

Hope has been restored because Jerry Krause has finally gotten serious about making the Bulls a contender again. No more games. The proof of that rests in the fact that Chicago laid a foundation for success on Wednesday night by drafting Duke's Jay Williams.

It was a good move to make, and more importantly, the right move to make. The Bulls have been on life support for the past four years and getting Williams breathes new life into a team that has been left for dead.. Finally, fans have something to believe in again.

Fans can believe again because they have every reason to be excited about Williams running the point. Not only does he have the skills needed to make an immediate impact in the league, but he has heart, determination and the right attitude.

Williams wants to win, and he wants to win in Chicago. Williams is thrilled about his new role and welcomes the opportunity to be the team's savior with open arms.

It really doesn't matter to him that he will be playing in the towering shadow of Jordan's statue or that he will be playing in a city that is in desperate need of a winner. Williams loves challenges as much as Homer Simpson loves donuts, and he expects to handle them in Chicago just as he did at Duke.

The Bulls' other draft picks should help as well. Krause made the most of his second round picks by taking Virginia guard Roger Mason Jr., and Maryland forward Lonny Baxter. Both players should see quality minutes and fit in nicely as role players.

If all goes as expected this season, the Bulls are in a position to finish at least .500 and perhaps even make the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed. Granted, it is going to take some time for Chicago to establish itself as a legitimate title contender, but eventually everything will fall into place.

And eventually, fans will no longer have to fantasize about championship celebrations in Chicago. The Bulls will be celebrating the real thing because the foundation for success was laid in 2002.

Brian Lester is a sportswriter in Ohio and can be reached via e-mail at BAL4@hotmail.com.