5 Reasons Taj Gibson Is Fool's Gold for the Chicago Bulls

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Let me make one thing clear about my opinion of Taj Gibson: I like him as a player.

He plays with great effort, he is a good athlete, and he is a coach's dream. These very qualities are the reasons many fans overrate him. Fans are delusional if they feel that Gibson offers a better option at power forward than Carlos Boozer.

Taj Gibson is the Chicago Bulls equivalent to a backup quarterback. Many people are unhappy with the play of the starter and the team's results, so benching the starter in favor of the backup is the battle cry. It is a knee-jerk reaction that is counter-productive for the present and future state of the franchise.

Here are five reasons why Taj is more mirage than gold.

Age

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Taj was a 21-year-old freshmen at USC, so when the Bulls drafted him in the 2009 draft, instead being in the normal rookie age range of 19-22, Gibson was 24.

He is now 26.

Carlos Boozer is 29 and won't turn 30 until November.

Gibson will become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2012-13 season. With his resume, would the Bulls be smart to offer him starting-power-forward money? If they don't, somebody will and the Bulls will have to match to retain him.

Most players that cash in on their "big" contract do so between the ages of 22 and 25.

Gibson will be getting his payday three years after that, with no proven record of being the low-post scoring option the Bulls need.

Injuries

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Gibson has already battled his share of foot problems. His plantar fasciitis is a chronic ailment, and the problem is likely to worsen with increased playing time.

One of the biggest concerns and complaints about Boozer is that he has been injury prone.

This is true, but the book is being written in a similar fashion for Gibson. He has played through the pain so far, missing only two games in his career.

It does help that he is lighter and a better natural athlete, but foot problems with a front-court player are bad news.

Passing & Ball Security

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One important quality that is often ignored in post players is passing ability.

If a post player is able to make himself a scoring option, at some point he will be double teamed. This is the primary purpose of having a low-post threat.

When that double-team comes, the post player needs to find the open man and deliver a catch-able pass at the right time.

One statistic that paints an accurate picture of how well a player passes and takes care of the ball is, of course, turnovers. I prefer the turnover percentage stat; it properly balances the comparison of starters and reserves. It is based on turnovers per 100 plays.

Taj Gibson's turnover percentage is 12.7, while Carlos Boozer's is 13.

To further clarify this statistic, consider this question: How often is Gibson given the ball and asked to make a play for himself or a teammate?

Not very many times at all.

Comparatively, how often is Boozer asked to complete this task? Nearly every time he touches it, he is expected to score, go to the line, or make a pass that ends in a good shot for a teammate.

Even with Boozer's increased responsibility, Boozer and Gibson's turnover percentages are nearly the same.

Bench-Player Mentality

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Bench players and starters approach the game differently.

Even throughout Taj's rookie season, when he started almost the entire years, Gibson took only 10 shots per 36 minutes played. I use the per-36-minutes-played stat to be fair to him since he only played 26 minutes per game his rookie season.

Taj is not assertive on the offensive end unless it's in the open court, posing for a poster on Dwyane Wade.

He plays a very simple game.

This is great for a bench player and even a starter on a team that already has a low-post threat. Please, not another word about Joakim Noah being a legitimate low-post option. Noah couldn't command a double-team in a handicap wrestling match. He is an energy player, much like Gibson, and you don't need two of them in your starting front court. 

Limited Offensive Game

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Finally, and most importantly, Gibson has a limited offensive game.

Many people believe that you can acquire offensive skills like they're a video game power up once you reach a certain level.

It doesn't work that way.

Can a player improve or hone low-post skills? Absolutely, but there has to be a strong low-post scoring base to build on to make a big difference.

Gibson doesn't have the body or the foot work to accomplish this to a large degree. The most important factor for an effective post player is foot work. Taj has one low post move: the drop step. If his defender doesn't fall for the fake, it's a wrap. He has to pass it back out or force up a bad shot.

To balance the footwork, a face-up game would be nice. Gibson, while quick, doesn't put the ball on the floor with enough control to beat people off the dribble, so he is relegated to shooting the 15-footer to be effective in the half court.

His best bet at maximizing his potential is to work tirelessly on shooting that jump shot and even possibly stretching it to the three-point line to create match-up problems. It is too late for him to develop a post game deadly enough to command a double-team.

Remember, fans, that is what it's all about for a low-post scorer. No double, no spacing, nothing special.