Blazers not mentioned. Bulls are rumored to be looking for a guy that can move them to top tier contender status. Or maybe he could be had for cap space if the Bulls want to get under the LT. Gibson is a very good defender, can play C in a small ball lineup, and he's a shot blocker. On O he has a decent shot out to 15-17 feet, and he dunks a lot. Pau Gasol is possibly available, too. Not sure what it would take to get him, but I am reasonably sure he's good enough to get us into the playoffs. His D sucks, he's a bit banged up, but he's got a 21+ PER and solid big man stats. Joakim Noah is done for the season. He had surgery on his shoulder. He's an expiring deal, and the Bulls may have no interest in signing him in the offseason. He might be available for cap space, or may be available via waivers if the Bulls cut him. None of the three are about Dame's age. But who says they can't play together anyhow? Any interest?
Hmmm, Gibson’s athleticism is what makes him a good undersized PF/C defender. He will be 31 at the end of this season. My guess is, he is entering the backside of his career. Without size to make up for a drop in athleticism, his impact on the floor will rapidly decline. He is still rebounding well, but his blocks and steals stats are already trending down. Gibson does not fit into Olsheys age bracket for this roster’s joint development. Not long ago, Olshey mentioned 27 years old was his cut off age for new players. I can see a Noah & pic trade to take on his expiring contract. But not as a future Blazer.
Taj Gibson Vs. Ed Davis TG: 7.6 ppg | 7 rpg | 1 bpg | 51 fg% | 14.8 PER | 0.9 vorp PER36: 10.8 ppg | 10 rpg | 1.4 bpg ED: 6.8 ppg | 7.3 rpg | .7 bpg | 62 fg% | 18.8 PER| 1.1 vorp PER36: 11.6 ppg | 12.5 rpg | 1.2 bpg In short, no thanks.
I'm a big Ed Davis fan. What Taj brings is better defense and a better mid range shot. I'm not pushing for any of the three. We are in position to make some deals to improve our chances to make the playoffs and advance. Our frontcourt seems to be our weak spot.
I like Taj's game. He's a great role player and could be so on a championship contender. But we are already too deep in the back court right now, and this move wouldn't really make sense at this point.
Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got, I'm still, I'm still Taj from the block, once I had a little now I got a lot, but I still know where I came from...