The New York Knicks have got off to a hot start and their latest move to sign big man Taj Gibson is yet another smart decision Leon Rose.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Gibson is a well-respected vet who played for the Knicks last season. So the core members of the franchise love RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson already know Gibson, a familiar and familiar face to these players.
More importantly, Gibson has several years of experience playing under the Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau – includes 2010 to 2015 tracks on the Chicago Bulls and 2017 to 2017 on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For a team full of young players, an old “Thibs man” like Gibson can lend a hand as a translator in the dressing room for the famously intense coach. He can also serve as an extension of the coach when on the ground, given the expertise he brings to know the philosophies and rhythms of a Thibodeau-style team.
Tom Thibodeau coached Taj Gibson for seven combined seasons with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Thibs has always praised Gibson as a pro on and off the pitch. https://t.co/BlHPkB1HF6
– Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 7, 2021
After injuries to Obi Toppin and Nerlens Noel, the Knicks have had an incredibly thin frontcourt. In response, big man Julius Randle is currently the leader in minutes per game and has played more than 60 percent of the possible minutes for New York. Thibodeau is notorious for exhausting his players with too much playing time and Gibson can offer Randle some relief as the season goes on.
Realistically, while the vet may not add much long-term value to the roster with his play, you still know what to expect with Gibson on the pitch. Thibodeau will not have to coach Gibson or teach him new skills, nor will he ever have to worry about his development.
Since entering the league, he’s brought tenacity no matter where he’s played. Gibson is a hard-nosed glass cleaner whose teams have always had a better attack rate while on the pitch. This helps to give his teammates a second chance after missed field goals.
Some fans may be concerned about possible release Omari Spellman, which has never played a game for the franchise before, but was only a first-round pick two years ago. But the truth is, the Knicks never added Spellman because of what they expected of him as a player.
Looking back, during the off season, the Knicks used their cap space to acquire Ed Davis. The allure of that move was never to play Davis, but it was the two future second-round picks that sent the Jazz to get off his contract.
Another smart move here by the Knicks.
Get some second second-rate to take on Ed Davis’ contract. Then flip Davis over for another second round selection.
Good business by Leon Rose and Brock Aller. Maximize cap space https://t.co/9yUqOLwmtr
– Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) November 23, 2020
New York then turned Davis to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Spellman and Jacob Evans. Again, however, this move was primarily inspired by asset accumulation by adding one more future second-rounder that Minnesota included in the deal. Evans, who was also a first round in 2018, was waived before the season started.
It may come as a surprise that the Knicks did not re-sign Gibson during the off-season, especially given that Thibodeau had been hired to lead the squad. But if he’d been on the roster all the time, they might not have had the roster space to acquire Davis, Spellman and Evans – who will earn their front office three future draft picks.
Had they re-signed Gibson just out of season, they would have had three fewer assets in their toolkit. By waiting, they still get Gibson into their roster as a veteran presence for this exciting and otherwise quite young squad.