The Chicago Bulls Need To Keep Taj Gibson

When you’re one of the deepest teams in the league and have been considered one of the favorites to make the NBA Finals for the past couple of years, there’s going to be rumors about possible trades that will help a team get over the hump. It’s especially true for the Chicago Bulls, considering they are bringing back almost the same team as last season.

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The player rumored to be in a lot of trade talks for the Bulls is Taj Gibson, and that shouldn’t be the case. Drafting Bobby Portis opened up a lot of possibilities and flexibility for the Bulls frontcourt, but trading away Gibson wouldn’t be a smart choice.

Last year was supposed to be the year Taj Gibson took off and improved on his best season prior. That wasn’t the case, as his points per game (10.3), rebounds per game (6.4) and blocks per game (1.2) all went down from the previous season. It was disappointing, but I expect Gibson to get back to the level he was playing at the year before.

Despite a lot of people considering it a down year, Gibson still had his highest offensive and defensive rating (112, 104) per 100 possessions of his career, according to Basketball-Reference.

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Gibson talked to reporters at his basketball camp and told them how bad his injuries from last season were. He missed 20 games throughout last season due to a bad left ankle, but according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Gibson should have missed a lot more. He was playing on torn ankle ligaments all season. Doctors were stunned that he was able to move around as much as he did.

Afterr having surgery this offseason, Gibson’s slated for a mid-October return, but knowing how long he postponed dealing with his injury, it’s a little concerning nonetheless. A mid-October return would mean he would be able to play in a couple of preseason games. Those games would be huge for Gibson to get back into game shape and learn how he’s going to fit into Fred Hoiberg‘s new system.

The injuries weren’t the only reason that Gibson saw a decline in his numbers. The emergence of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic not only took away the little of offensive responsibility he had, but also took away 1.4 minutes per game from him. Gibson has been known for his defense throughout his career, but Gasol still posted 1.9 blocks per game to Gibson’s 1.2 per game.

Also, despite shooting a career best 50.2 percent from the field, Gibson still lacks a consistent mid-range shot, something both Gasol and Mirotic have. It allowed the Bulls to spread the floor and create more driving lanes.

Gibson is great at cleaning up around the rim, shooting 62.9 percent in his career from 0-3 feet away. However, his shooting percentage lowers to 34.7 percent from 3-10 feet away. 43.9 percent of his two point attempts have been from 0-3 feet away throughout his career, which makes his offensive game one-dimensional and easier to guard.

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The Portis selection is why there has been so much talk about trading Gibson. However, trusting a rookie right away is risky and not something a contender usually does. Big men usually take longer to accumulate to the NBA game and last year’s rookies showed that. Two of the 2014 draft top overall selections, Joel Embiid and Julius Randle, combined to play in just one game. While Embiid was expected to miss the whole season, a freak injury to Randle ended his rookie season during his debut. It’s rare for an injury that extreme to happen to a player, but it just shows that anything can happen and having more depth is always a positive.

Other top picks like Aaron Gordon, the fifth overall selection by the Orlando Magic, only appeared in 47 games and averaged 17 minutes per game, 5.2 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game on 44.7 percent shooting. Noah Vonleh, the ninth overall selection out of Indiana by the Charlotte Hornets, spent most of his rookie season in the D-League and was later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason.

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All four of the top-10 picks that were big men last year were all under 20, but it still shows that it takes some time to develop your game in the NBA. Staying for his sophomore season helped Portis, but it doesn’t mean he’ll be an instant impact. Every rookie has growing pains and Portis won’t get starter minutes like some of the top picks to help him get through them.

Portis was the SEC Player of the Year award recipient this past season, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to make an impact on the Bulls. A perfect example of a dominant player in college who struggled in the NBA is Tyler Hansbrough. He was one of the best college basketball players ever, but hasn’t been anything more than an average role player in the NBA.

There’s risk in Taj Gibson for the Bulls, but I think the bigger risk is not using your depth as an advantage and trading someone who has been a big part of your team in years past. The emergence of Mirotic means Gibson won’t need to be relied on as much, which should help with injuries, and the addition of Portis also means he can be eased back into action.

Taj Gibson has been a solid player for the Bulls throughout his career. At one point, Chicago thought he could be a starter. It’s clear now that he’s a solid bench player and nothing more. However, if Mirotic can become the sixth man-type player Chicago is expecting, then Gibson as the seventh or eighth guy in the Bulls rotation is worth the risk.

If Portis is able to produce right away for the Bulls, then trading Gibson should be a possibility. However, players are too likely to become busts, get hurt or take a couple of years to get their game going for the Bulls to have a rookie playing a significant amount of minutes.

If the Bulls want to compete for a championship then they need to use their depth to their advantage, like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors have done the past two years, and both Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson should be a part of that plan.

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