The Detroit Pistons are converting veteran big man Taj Gibson’s 10-day contract into a rest-of-season deal. Gibson has not seen the floor since signing his original 10-day contract with Detroit, but he has served as a veteran mentor to the team’s young big men, most specifically James Wiseman.
Whether it’s coincidence or not, Wiseman has had by far his best stretch as a member of the Pistons since Gibson joined the team, and Gibson is constantly working with Wiseman in practice and in his ear during games.
In five games since Gibson signed, Wiseman is averaging 9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game. More importantly, while he is not an instinctual player on the floor, he has eliminated mistakes and unforced errors that have previously led to turnovers and easy buckets for the opposition.
Prior to joining the Pistons, Gibson played in 16 games in a second stint with the New York Knicks for his longtime coach Tom Thibodeau. This season, Gibson is averaging 1 point and 1.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
I’ll be curious what the plan is for both Gibson and the Pistons beyond this season. Gibson could hypothetically sign a veteran minimum deal if both sides felt Gibson could contribute on the floor at all. However, this could also be a precursor to Gibson beginning his post-playing career as an NBA coach.