Taj Gibson knows that he has to be smart and fully recover from his ankle sprain before taking the court again.
The Chicago Bulls have been dealing with quite a few injury issues throughout the course of the season, and big man Taj Gibson has been part of those issues. He was expected to take the leap into the starting lineup this year, but the signing of Pau Gasol pushed him back to the bench despite his strong play at the end of last season.
Gibson has been dealing with a sprained ankle, and knows that he has to be smart about returning too fast. He talked with the Chicago Tribune about understanding that and being frustrated with the injury.
"“I just have to be smart. I really have to get it strong because it hurts my athleticism, not being able to do certain things. It’s frustrating because everyone knows how I am. It takes a lot to have me sit out. I just don’t want the same thing to keep happening.”"
"“It’s still sore. It’s still weak. Just have to get back to trusting the doctors and doing it the right way instead of just saying, ‘Patch me up, Coach,’ and throwing me out there. I have to be smarter.”"
Derrick Rose also gave Gibson the advice to be patient and allow the injury to heal completely before returning to the court.
"“He was just saying to me, ‘It’s the same ankle that has been bothering you?’ I was like, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘You just have to be patient. You really have to get on top of that.’ It’s a long year. Can’t sprint to the finish line already; we have a long fight. Just have to be smart and get back fully healthy.”"
There is no question that the Bulls could use Gibson on the court, and he has put up solid numbers off of the bench. Gibson has averaged 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game so far in 12 games with the Bulls this year and only starting in five of them.
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Chicago needs their roster to get healthy if they want to have a chance at playing to their full potential, but it is very smart for Gibson to make sure that his ankle is 100 percent healthy before stepping back out on the court. Rose has missed quite a few games this season with nagging injuries, and the media is beginning to get fed up with him missing time. That being said, it is smarter to miss more time early in the season than have those same injuries force missed time late in the season or in the playoffs.
It shouldn’t be too much longer before Gibson gets back on the court, but he is taking care of himself in the right way. The Bulls have been able to compete despite the missed time that their players have had due to injury, and they will be more than happy to have them back on the court. Expect to see Gibson get back on the floor in the next couple of weeks if things go as planned.