Taj Gibson underwent a surgical ‘repair’ of his left ankle, is out for four months
It’s a very Chicago Bulls-like announcement, coming at a time of the NBA calendar that, for the last 17 years, hasn’t been a very Chicago Bulls-like part of the season:
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Gibson, who missed a month of 2014-15 after rolling that same ankle, was clearly hurting throughout this season’s NBA playoffs, a run that saw Chicago embarrassingly bounced from the second round in mid-May. Why it took over a month for Gibson to undergo what felt like needed ankle surgery, and why the surgery wasn’t announced until three days after the procedure is, well, up for you to deduce.
Nevertheless, the four-month time stamp following the surgery puts Gibson back on the court during Chicago’s exhibition season. With a deep front line that already features Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and second-year forward Nikola Mirotic, Chicago can handle his absence and what will probably be a baby-step return as he finds his form following surgery.
By the time 2015 ticks over into 2016, Gibson will have two and a half months under his belt, and he’ll presumably be working at full strength, right?
May 2, 2014 — The Chicago Bulls announced today that center Joakim Noah successfully underwent minor arthroscopic surgery to clean out his left knee. The procedure was performed at Rush Oak Park Hospital by Chicago Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole. He is expected to rehab his left knee during the offseason for the next eight to 12 weeks.
Right away, NBA observers pointed out that some players return from arthroscopic clean-outs in two-to-three weeks, midseason, and that they couldn’t recall a single instance where either an arthroscopic surgery or “minor” surgery knocked a player out for two-to-three months. Add in Joakim Noah’s notorious ability to will his body through pain and games he should have sat out, and nothing about the release made any sense.
When the 2014-15 season started, around 20 weeks after the surgery, it was clear Noah wasn’t the same. Even a minutes restriction (something former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau broke 26 times in 67 of the contests Joakim played in) failed to help as Noah sadly looked as hapless in May of 2015 as he did in May of 2014, and for the overwhelming majority of the season. It’s fair to wonder if Noah, who will turn 31 just after next year’s All-Star break, will ever be the same.
Gibson will turn 30 on June 24, and he appeared to hit his plateau last season. Taj missed 20 games a year after playing all 82, his shooting percentage spiked but some of his athleticism stats (rebound rate, block rate, ability to get to the line) dropped slightly.
Never a knockout rebounder even when healthy, Gibson has long had to rely on defensive savvy to make life hellish for both starters (Gibson routinely finished games for the Bulls during the Thibodeau era) and reserves, and it’s worrying to wonder how, exactly, he’ll return from the Bulls’ second major – sorry, one of those was a “minor” – offseason surgery in two summers.
There is a chance, however slight, that the Bulls could use this as an opportunity.
If new Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg handles this properly – refusing to work players until they’re clearly at full strength, unlike the maddening and destructive work of his predecessor – Gibson could be eased back into a rotation that could look quite a bit different than the Bulls team that sulked its way through the last two games of its series loss to Cleveland.
Pau Gasol, mostly healthy and sprightly last year but also due to turn 35 in July, could find himself as a scoring sixth man, while Mirotic moves into the starting lineup alongside Noah, who would return to the center position that fits him best. Gibson could spend the autumn months preparing with the knowledge that Chicago needs his best all-out play and underrated low post game in May and possibly June, and not for some obsessive run to beat the Pacers on the second night of a back-to-back in December. Chicago could have its own David Lee-vs.-Draymond Green excuse.
The difference here is that Gibson is not a starter, and though we respect Lee’s contributions with the Golden State Warriors, Gibson is far from the millstone that Lee was. Gasol could go down at any time, you would not be a pessimist in assuming that Noah (in the last year of his contract) is just about done, and Mirotic (even at his preferred power forward position, which the former Bulls coaching staff refused to acknowledge) was rather inconsistent in his rookie year.
This is presuming a full recovery – this is Gibson’s jumping ankle, mind you – for all involved. Based on what we saw from Joakim Noah in 2014-15, it is just fine to be dubious.
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
