The Bulls drafted two forwards last June and they both played a roll in the Bulls making the playoffs this year. 24-year old Taj Gibson quickly moved into the starting lineup taking advantage of a Tyrus Thomas injury and he never gave the job back. Gibson played in 82 games (70 starts) this season for the Bulls in which he averaged 26.9 minutes, 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game. James Johnson was the other forward the Bulls took and he was decent off the bench for them. Johnson played in 65 games (11 starts) for the Bulls this season and he averaged 11.6 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Look for both of these guys to produce for a long time for the Bulls down the road.

Forward Taj Gibson has really been a solid player and he has a nice upside. Gibson played in 56 games (44 starts) for the Bulls so far this season and he is averaging 25.1 minutes, 8.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game. Gibson is a solid basketball player and he was a good choice by the Bulls last June. Fellow forward James Johnson has not played as much as Gibson has this season. Johnson has played in 44 games (0 starts) for the Bulls this season and he is averaging 9.3 minutes, 2.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Gibson & Johnson should have big roles in the future of the Bulls which looks bright.

Taj Gibson and James Johnson look like keepers for the Bulls. Taj Gibson makes the most of his time on the court. He has played in 33 games (21 starts) for the Bulls this season and he is averaging 24.5 minutes, 8.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. I really like his game around the basket as he looks like he’s going to be a outstanding rebounder in this league. James Johnson has not been near as impressive as Gibson but I still see enough to make me think that he can produce for them down the road. He has played in 25 games (0 starts) for the Bulls this season and he is averaging 10.3 minutes, 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Johnson’s main problem has been his shooting as he is only hitting 35.9% of his shots from the floor. Until his shot improves he will likely continue to get sporadic playing time.

Taj Gibson has been stepping it up for the Chicago Bulls, despite the team’s poor play as of late.  He has filled in very nicely in the absence of the injured Tyrus Thomas.  Gibson has a knowledge and experience greater than most rookies, as he stayed all four years in college at USC and really developed his game.  He has been able to step in and contribute right away.  See where Gibson ranks against the other rookies in my list of the Top Rookies in the NBA so far.

24-year old Taj Gibson and 22-year old James Johnson are making the Bulls smile so far this season. Gibson has played in 8 games (5 starts) for the Bulls so far this season and he is averaging 23.9 minutes, 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Gibson is also shooting well from the floor hitting 51.8% of his shots this season but he is having problems from the free throw line hitting 53.3%. Gibson will continue to start while Tyrus Thomas is out of action and the Bulls hope that he continues to play well. James Johnson has not gotten much of a chance to this point in the season to show what he can do yet. Johnson has played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Bulls this season and he is averaging 6.0 minutes, 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds so far.