The New York Knicks had a surprising 5-3 start and are already making winning moves now that show that they are serious about ending the playoff drought as soon as possible. The Knicks are bringing veteran Taj Gibson back, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. To clean and make space, the Knicks dispensed striker Omari Spellman Thursday.
Gibson spent the last season with the Knicks and averaged 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 62 games, but was released in November before his salary for this season could be fully guaranteed. But now, with the team having a hot start and injuries from Obi Toppin and Nerlens Noel, the team is bringing Gibson back.
It is also important to note that Gibson is a favorite of the new head coach, Tom Thibodeau. Between the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gibson and Thibodeau have spent seven seasons together and have a great relationship. In an interview last year, Gibson defended Thibodeau from criticism of his style, saying the coach is “misunderstood” and “just tries to make the guys better players”.
While the Knicks are winning, some of these criticisms are emerging again in the first weeks of this season, as Thibodeau relies heavily on Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. The two young strikers are playing well, but leading the league in minutes with 38.6 and 38.1 per game, respectively. To put it in context, no NBA player has averaged more than 38 minutes per game since 2016, when James Harden did it for the Houston Rockets.
To be fair, injuries played a big role in Randle and Barrett carrying such a heavy workload, which is one of the reasons the Knicks are hiring Gibson. Although he is past his prime, he is still a trusted veteran who knows what he is doing and can give you a few minutes off the bench. In addition, he is a respected figure in the dressing room and will assist Thibodeau in his efforts to build a winning culture.
The only concern here would be whether Thibodeau would become too dependent on Gibson when everyone was healthy, and that takes away the opportunities for young Knicks players. Although they want to win and look much better than expected, this is still a long-term project at Madison Square Garden. But until that happens, this is a solid move by the Knicks.