Chicago's two top draft picks from the past three years have the best chance on the roster of becoming stars in the NBA.
For years, former Bulls forward Taj Gibson has roamed the league as a veteran presence off the bench. While he hasn't received as much playing time as he did during the prime of his career, Gibson's impact as a mentor to the next generation of NBA players cannot be overstated.
The 41-year-old is now back in Chicago, this time as an assistant coach on Tiago Splitter's staff. This upcoming season will be Gibson's first as a coach at any level, and he'll do so with the team that drafted him.
Most importantly for Gibson — and the Bulls' franchise — is the development of Chicago's two young forwards: Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson. Buzelis is entering his third season after being drafted with the No. 11 overall pick in 2024 and nearly doubled his scoring output from his rookie year to last season. Wilson was the No. 4 overall pick this summer and has the best chance of any player on the Bulls' roster of becoming a superstar.
At 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-10, respectively, Buzelis and Wilson will likely play the small forward and power forward positions for the Bulls this season. Gibson, who was listed at 6-foot-9 and 232 pounds for the Grizzlies last year, has a bit more muscle on him than Chicago's young duo, but he has a lot that he can teach to a pair of players who project to suit up at the same position that he did.
Feb 12, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) dunks in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng (5) at Target Center. The Timberwolves beat the Bulls 117-89. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports And so far, Gibson has already gotten started mentoring the franchise star hopefuls.
"The first thing you expect when you see rookies and young players is just to go out there and play hard," Gibson said on Chicago Sports Network's 'By The Horns' Podcast. "When I see our young guys, they play extremely hard. Once we tweak it a little bit and have them really buy in, it's something special to see.
Gibson announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday afternoon and joined Splitter's staff immediately after. In his first week as an assistant coach, Gibson said he's smiling every day in practice and is extremely happy. That hasn't stopped him from talking trash, though, something he was well-known for as a player.
After the Bulls drafted Gibson with the No. 26 overall pick in 2009, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native spent seven-and-a-half seasons as the enforcer in Chicago. He helped bring the Bulls to the playoffs in all but one of his complete seasons and was a key contributor off the bench, placing in the top 10 of Sixth Man of the Year voting three times.
Over his seven-plus seasons with the Bulls, Gibson averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the floor.
