Taj Gibson

Inside the unofficial manual on how to succeed and compile victories at the NBA level, young teams will often find that, within nearly every successful group, there stands a lead-by-example-type veteran establishing habits from afar. As the elder statesman on the league’s sixth-least-experienced team, Taj Gibson decided that, even in Year 16, such lessons could be demonstrated with force. Among the last players an opposing center wanted to see flying off a pick-and-roll once upon a time, the Charlotte Hornets big man turns back the clock, working a brick wall-esque screen alongside his All-Star point guard. Nimble and agile in receiving the pass, Gibson finishes with ferocity, gathering his steps before detonating on Franz Wagner for a vintage, two-handed, game-opening flush. The Orlando Magic would command the upper hand in November 12, 2024’s In-Season Tournament matchup, but Gibson, in his fifth-consecutive start, chipped in four points (on two-of-three) and four rebounds in 14 minutes.