After summer of rehab, Bulls' Gibson putting best foot forward
Bulls forward Taj Gibson is back to his old tricks playing like an experienced veteran when he's really a 25-year-old beginning his second NBA season.
Watching him average 15.2 points while shooting 63 percent, fourth best in the league, one would assume he spent all summer in the gym honing his skills with an ever-present Tom Thibodeau.
The reality is, Gibson spent most of the summer trying to shake plantar fasciitis, a foot ailment that plagued him as a rookie. When training camp began, he felt anything but ready for a new season.
“I didn't have any wind,” Gibson said. “Even though I went through the whole training camp, I was frustrated because I was wondering when could I get back to my regular form. I couldn't get rebounds. I couldn't get up and down the court. I was just frustrated.”
Plantar fasciitis knocked teammate Joakim Noah out of action for a few weeks late last season, and the Bulls lost 10 straight games without him.
Gibson, meanwhile, never missed a game. He joined the starting lineup when Tyrus Thomas broke his arm, endured an experiment with Brad Miller in the starting lineup, then tried to hold things together when Noah was sidelined.
Through it all, his feet ached. Gibson still managed to average 9.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, earning a spot on the all-rookie first team. Not bad for a No. 26 draft pick who played for ex-Bulls coach Tim Floyd at USC.
After the playoff loss to Cleveland, the top priority was getting healthy.
“It was really tough to walk. I had to learn how to really walk all over again,” Gibson said. “When they finally cleared me to run, it was weird. I felt like I would hurt myself if I tried to run hard.
“But I stayed with it, came in every day consistently. Worked on my foot, worked on lifting weights and just took it from there.”
Gibson described his rehab as a quest to increase the blood flow on the bottom of his feet. He had some setbacks here and there but finished the summer feeling much better.
“I'd never experienced anything like that in my life,” he said. “I didn't touch a basketball for the whole summer until almost training camp. It was just tough.”
When Gibson did get into the gym for workouts, he was with assistant coach Ron Adams. It wasn't a bad arrangement. Before Adams left for a sabbatical of sorts with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he helped hone Luol Deng's jumper during an earlier stint with the Bulls.
Adams worked with Gibson on the consistency of his jump shot and extending his range. So far this season Gibson has been the Bulls' most reliable outside shooter.
“Brad Miller told me, ‘Last year you had a great season for a rookie. Next year you've just got to take it up a notch. Add something to your game every year,'” Gibson said. “That's what I'm trying to do, just add something every year. I'm just trying to be consistent and know my role.”
Gibson knows he will be leaving the starting lineup soon, once free-agent addition Carlos Boozer returns from a broken hand. Gibson played well last season as a starter and a reserve, so he's not worried about the transition.
“I don't really worry about it,” said the Brooklyn native. “My saying is ‘humble and driven.' Those are the two words I say before every game.”