Taj Gibson (PF/C, NYK) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14-Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 2% of leagues

ANALYSIS: When the Knicks signed Taj Gibson to his third Tom Thibodeau-led roster back in January, I thought it was out of comfort or familiarity, because it seemed highly unlikely that the now 35-year-old veteran would have a significant role to play on the floor with young-guns Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel, and Obi Toppin holding it down. Then, of course, injuries happen; specifically, Robinson fractured his hand and required surgery, meaning he'd be sidelined for 4-6 weeks as of about two weeks ago. The truth is: Gibson is playing about as well as he usually did throughout his twelve-year career. In several ways, he's actually expanding and playing better than he used to, and gradually, Gibson started putting up enough measurable figures to warrant a closer inspection. Over his first twelve games with New York, Taj has averaged 15.1 minutes, and in that time, has produced 3.8 points and 4.3 boards per contest. At first glance, that line seems immediately forgettable, even in a deep format. However, there are several bonuses included in Taj once again going to work for Tom Thibodeau at this stage in his career (when it seems more fitting for Taj to be with Jarrett Jack as one of the Ignite old-timers).

The long-time Chicago Bull is currently putting out the third-best rebounding rate of his career at 14.9%, and while his block rate has in fact declined substantially from its 4.7% peak in 2013 to 2.2% today, his 1.4% steal rate is the second-best mark of his NBA tenure, while his true shooting percentage (62%) and effective field goal rate (61.3%) are as high as they've ever been. This is in part due to Gibson's burgeoning three-point affinity; prior to 2021 he had taken 118 threes dating back to 2009, hitting 26 of them (22%). In just 181 total minutes so far in the campaign, he has already thrown up seven tries from deep, converting on two thus far for an improved success rate of 28.6%, going down smooth with his dialed-in rate from two-point territory (66.7% on 24 shots). He has been recently limited by a minor ankle issue, but lately, his newest approach to the game has proven worthwhile for those in deep leagues where the options at the position run super thin (especially if you need a PF/C combo to maximize your roster space). In the four games from 2/17 to 2/25, Gibson totaled 21 points, 31 boards, five steals, 1-3 shooting from deep, and he capped a three-game streak with at least one block (which he is capable of starting back up), all in about 16-24 minutes a night. It might not look like much, but Taj Gibson's ability to reel in rebounds to pad his opportunistic scoring results in a solid line on many evenings, and with his scoring efficiency soaring and his hands still active on defense, Taj Gibson still has plenty left in the tank to offer those in deeper formats.

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