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Taj Gibson sees tons of talent on Wizards, calls them a ‘sleeper team’

By Chase Hughes

Taj Gibson calls Wizards a 'sleeper team' originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

It was admittedly not easy for Taj Gibson to leave New York. He grew up in Brooklyn and returned to the city to play three years for the Knicks. This summer, he left to join Washington for what will be his 14th NBA season.

The 37-year-old, though, said a big part of his decision to join the Wizards was that he sees them as a team on the brink of surprising a lot of people around the NBA. He’s been in the league long enough to know talent and believes there is plenty of it on the Wizards despite the fact they finished 35-47 last season and fell short of the playoffs.

“I’ve seen they have a young and talented team. It’s a sleeper team and I just want to be a part of something special. The NBA is full of ups and downs, but I wanted to go to a place where I can just put my veteran mentorship and whatever I can to add to the team,” Gibson said.

He continued when asked for specifics: “From my perspective, the group is really good. From my eyes, because I’m watching the games, I’m seeing there was a lot of games gone, but at the same time they were super competitive the whole year. Even the last few years, just super competitive. I don’t know, it’s just the NBA is real secretive when it comes to things like that. You look at everybody that the team acquired this summer, everybody [they drafted, traded for and signed] is a dog. [Everyone] is hungry, counted against and they’re looking for the right opportunity and the right place, especially a place like D.C., that is capable. It all comes down to guys getting together and understanding what we’ve got to do to win.”

Gibson specifically mentioned players like Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura when discussing the Wizards’ core. In talking about their offseason acquisitions, Gibson was referencing a group that includes Johnny Davis, Delon Wright, Monte Morris and Will Barton.

Gibson, though, suggested he has been a fan of the Wizards’ roster for years now.

“The Wizards always have tough players. They always have a lot of talent,” he said.

Gibson’s role in all of it should be fairly straightforward. He projects to be the team’s third center behind Porzingis and Daniel Gafford. More minutes may be had if Porzingis plays some at the four, or in cases of injury to either of the two ahead of him on the depth chart.

Gibson will also be relied on as a veteran leader who can help young players like Davis, Gafford, Hachimura, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert and others continue to develop as professionals. During his introductory press conference via Zoom, Gibson harped on team chemistry and how he plans on helping that cause in practices and in games.

“They have so many talented guys, I’m just a fan of all of them. I’m just lucky enough to be able to be able to say I can go into the gym and get better with these guys, build a bond with these guys. That’s my whole goal,” he said.

Gibson certainly has a lot of experience to share with the Wizards’ young players. At 37, he is the oldest player the Wizards have had since the 2014-15 season when Andre Miller was 38 and Paul Pierce was 37. The only players in franchise history older than Gibson are Miller, Charles Oakley (39) and Michael Jordan (39).

Don’t let his age fool you, however. Gibson remains a productive player and last season he averaged 8.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per-36 minutes in a bench role. He doesn’t play a ton, but is efficient in making an impact when he’s on the floor.

The Wizards will now hope he can keep that up through one more season and, ideally, share some wisdom along the way.

Wizards make history with win despite huge 3-point shooting deficit

By Chase Hughes
Wizards make history with huge 3-point margin originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonThe Wizards made five 3-pointers on Wednesday and their opponent, the Sixers, made 19. If that sounds like a major disadvantage, well, it usually is. All of the previous 27 times an NBA team made five threes or fewer and allowed their opponent to make 19 or more, they lost.Somehow, the Wizards bucked that trend to make NBA history and do something no team had ever done before. Outscoring the Sixers 68-38 in the paint was the biggest reason, as that 30-point edge helped offset the 42-point advantage the Sixers had on the perimeter. The result was a 121-111 road victory for Washington, improving their record to 4-4.Tyrese Maxey of the Sixers had five threes all by himself, tying the Wizards as a team. Tobias Harris added four triples, while his teammates James Harden and Georges Niang had three apiece.For the Wizards, Kyle Kuzma made two threes. The only other ones to get a perimeter shot to fall were Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Will Barton, who each made one.The Wizards were 5-for-21 from three overall, which breaks out to 23.8%. The Sixers were 19-for-36, good for 52.8%. That's a tremendous shooting night, yet they lost.Just shooting as well from three as the Sixers did is generally an airtight path towards victory. In the last three seasons, teams that have made 19 or more threes, shooting 50% or better, were 112-5.In the same span of time, teams that made five threes or fewer, shooting 25% or worse, were 24-71. The Wizards defied gargantuan odds to pull out the victory.It helped that they otherwise played well offensively. The Wizards scored 121 points, shot 57.7% from the field overall, 26-for-32 from the free throw line (81.3%) and committed only seven turnovers.Porzingis had 30 points and Beal had 29, shooting a combined 20-for-30 (66.7%). Whenever their best players perform like that, the Wizards are going to be in good shape.Washington also defended well aside from the 3-point line. They came into the game allowing the fewest paint points (40.6/g) in the league, yet held the Sixers below that number. Washington outrebounded them 43-32 and blocked nine shots.Philly had a monster third quarter with 39 points, but the Wizards locked down in the fourth to hold them to just 21 points. The Sixers didn't score in the final 2:30 and missed their final four attempts.So, the Wizards made it work, even if the 3-point differential wasn't ideal. Prior history, though, would suggest it's not a recipe for success moving forward.Surely, the Wizards will hope for better results at the 3-point line on both ends of the floor. After making only five threes on Wednesday, the Wizards are averaging only 9.6 per game, 28th in the NBA. And on defense, after giving up 19 to the Sixers just three days after allowing 21 to the Celtics, the Wizards are giving up 13.8 threes per game, ranking 24th in the league.Perimeter shooting has become uniquely important in today's NBA. Many games come down to which team wins the 3-point margin.The Wizards essentially invented a new way to win a basketball game on Wednesday night. They may never be able to replicate it, but a win is a win.
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