Remember Omer Asik? The Chicago Bulls do. They showed restraint and decided not to overpay him like the Houston Rockets did. Now they must show that same restraint with Taj Gibson.
I won’t go as far as to say Gibson is overrated, because his abilities are not exaggerated. He’s an athletically inclined forward who can have an impact on both ends of the floor, and doesn’t shy away from rebounding.
But he’s not a superstar, nor is he even close to becoming one. Which is why the Bulls cannot afford to throw piles of money at him, especially now before he even sets his own market value.
Which is why Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com’s report on Gibson’s contract status is so important:
“I’m hopeful,” Gibson said. “I’m always hopeful. This is where I want to stay, this is where I hopefully want to retire one day. So we’ll have to wait and see.”
Gibson’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPNChicago.com on Thursday that talks are ongoing.
Now, this is a sticky situation. On the one hand, the Bulls would prefer to sign Gibson now, and give themselves the freedom to amnesty Carlos Boozer this summer. On the other, if it’s going to take more than they’re currently offering, is it really worth swapping out one overpaid forward for another?
It’s great news for the Bulls that Gibson wants to remain in Chicago, but hey, Jeremy Lin wanted to remain in New York. Sometimes the finances just don’t align. And the Bulls cannot be afraid to admit that.
Gibson doesn’t deserve the “$8-$10 million” he will supposedly command. Yes, he averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game last season, on his way to posting a 16.90 PER, but is that enough to warrant an eight-figure salary?
Let’s not forget that, especially on offense, Gibson is still somewhat raw. He shot just 41.2 percent last season when he was between three and nine feet away from the basket, and just 37.2 percent between 10 and 15 feet away. Boozer, from the same distances, converted on 53.8 percent and 43.3 percent, respectively.
However, Gibson’s saving grace is that he’s a better defender and a comparable rebounder. And I’ll be the first to admit that given his age and superior athletic ability, he may be a better fit alongside Derrick Rose.
But Rose isn’t always healthy and Gibson is hardly the viable pillar Boozer still has the potential to be. Yet I’m not saying the Bulls shouldn’t amnesty Boozer, I’m just saying they shouldn’t make the same mistake they did with him, they shouldn’t make the same mistake the Rockets did with Asik and Lin, with Gibson.
Not if they value financial flexibility, and most certainly not if they want to get their money’s worth, that is.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
