Minnesota Timberwolves: Pros and cons of Taj Gibson
Pro: Familiarity
Familiarity and consistency are two underrated concepts in the NBA. When a player’s understanding of a concept or a system becomes second-nature to them, it allows them to play at a much quicker pace.
It eliminates the extra step of diagnosing the play and figuring out what it means for your role on the floor. Even though that is an extremely quick process in the human brain, it still takes precious milliseconds to occur.
I’m sure Thibodeau’s system and verbiage have changed somewhat in the past few years since Gibson was last coached by him. However, the main concepts are still in place that makes Thibodeau one of the best defensive coaches out there.
| Season | Age | Tm | Pos | PER | TS% | TRB% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 | OBPM | DBPM | BPM | VORP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 25 | CHI | PF | 14.3 | .502 | 15.4 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 5.2 | .143 | -2.7 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| 2011-12 | 26 | CHI | PF | 16.9 | .522 | 14.4 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 4.5 | .167 | -1.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| 2012-13 | 27 | CHI | PF | 14.4 | .518 | 13.6 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.3 | .109 | -2.6 | 2.1 | -0.5 | 0.5 |
| 2013-14 | 28 | CHI | PF | 16.0 | .524 | 13.5 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | .117 | -2.6 | 1.4 | -1.1 | 0.5 |
| 2014-15 | 29 | CHI | PF | 16.1 | .545 | 12.7 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 4.8 | .137 | -0.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Career | 15.2 | .529 | 14.0 | 14.2 | 23.4 | 37.6 | .123 | -1.9 | 1.6 | -0.2 | 6.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Gibson’s seasons’ with Thibodeau as Head Coach
This should allow the power forward to slide right back into the swing of things without losing a beat. He will also be able to help mentor guys like Towns, Teague, Bjelica and other players who may not be as familiar with Thibs’ system.
Outside of defense, Gibson understands what the head coach expects overall, both on and off the court. This means it’s one less detail Thibodeau has to pay attention to as his plate is already overflowing with duties from two roles.
Even with Gibson’s lack of production in recent seasons, he is returning to the system which saw him produce the best seasons as a pro. Returning to this familiarity can do nothing but help Gibson and boost his confidence.