Chicago Bulls Midseason Grades: Butler shines, Wade and Rondo shrug

Taj Gibson

Stats: 27.5 minutes, 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 blocks, 51.2 FG%, 70.5 FT%

Grade: A

Taj Gibson was born to be a hard-nosed veteran.

Gibson has been a rock to which the Bulls have clung all season. They’ve relied on his defensive intensity and his old-school post moves to grind out wins just like Chicago has been relying on him since he was drafted. No one has been on the roster longer than Taj, and he’s owning that role.

He’s also having a career year by his own standards. He’s beating his career average in points per 100 possessions, true shooting percentage, and usage rate. Plus, Gibson continues to be a wily post player, fooling his defender with all kinds of pivots and fakes.

On defense, he’s one of Chicago’s most important pieces, whether he’s protecting the rim from fellow post players or picking up DeMarcus Cousins at the top of the key. Taj cleans up all kinds of mistakes for the Bulls on every possession. He’s crucial.

I’ve advocated in the past that Chicago would be smart to capitalize on this season from Gibson and trade him to a contender like the Raptors, especially because he’s likely to leave in free agency this summer. We’ll all hate to see him go, but a first-rounder or a young player with potential would help an awful lot with the grieving process.