Starting to Power Forward

It's not like none of us who follows this team didn't know it was coming.  To be fair, no Bulls basketball for a month can cause some people to lose track of all the storylines from the past season.  I'll just say it:  Taj Gibson has been told by the coaching staff to begin training with the mindset of a regular starter, not a top bench player.  This should remove any doubt that Carlos Boozer will not be a Bulls uniform next fall.

Gibson has mainly been a starter-in-training since his rookie year and it's about time he's finished paying his dues.  Equally competent on offense and defense, he has worked harder than many of his teammates to develop his game.  Never mind whatever top talent the Bulls might land this offseason, particularly Nikola Mirotic.  Gibson would be starting on a lot of teams already, albeit likely on one of the weaker teams in the NBA, but that's still a testament to how far he has come.  We've watched him grow as a player and he's never had anything but good things attached to him.

Of course, even with a long-term contract in place, there's no guarantee he'll be around at the end of it.  If the Bulls get a realistic shot at Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love or another top talent, Gibson would just as soon be traded.  He has to have that in the back of his mind even now.  The Bulls already have one superstar in Derrick Rose, a very good player in Joakim Noah, but they're lacking that second big star which would give them a legitimate chance at a championship.  As long as they don't have to give up either Rose, Noah or possibly Jimmy Butler, everyone else is fair game.

For now though, Gibson will do just fine as the starting power forward, I have faith that he will blossom even further, legitimizing the Bulls' pending decision to let Boozer go.  Somebody will take on Boozer, although he likely won't be shouldered with the same responsibilities with a team looking to contend.  Hopefully for his sake, he'll get enough playing time that he won't complain about sitting in the fourth quarter.

Everyone take a moment this evening to remember those who died for our country and the freedom that comes with it.  Without them, we wouldn't be able to enjoy all that we do now, including keeping blogs like this.  If any former or active service members are reading this now, I salute you.