Fansided

Taj Gibson doesn’t like losing to ‘trash teams’

By John Buhler

Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (7) and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) react differently to a call at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (7) and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) react differently to a call at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Taj Gibson is the newest member of the Chicago Bulls frustrated with their 2015-16 NBA season, stating that it’s embarrassing to lose to ‘trash teams.’

Needless to say, but the 2015-16 Chicago Bulls are in the midst of a disastrous NBA campaign. Slated as the Eastern Conference foe best equipped to stop LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers from cake-walking to another NBA Finals entering the season, Chicago has struggled mightily in Fred Hoiberg’s first season as head coach.

Chicago went from the No. 3 seed in the East in the last year under then head coach Tom Thibodeau to a 36-35 record through 71 games in 2015-16, good enough for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bulls are 1.5 games back of the Central Division rival Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

It has been a frustrating season, and perhaps big man Taj Gibson epitomized the frustrations of his teammates when he spoke to the media after Chicago’s loss Thursday night to the lowly New York Knicks.

Gibson said to SI, “…I’m embarrassed. And it’s frustrating when we come up short, and we look at ourselves, we’re losing to…I don’t want to criticize any[body], [but] trash teams. Everybody’s in the NBA for a reason, but we’re playing against teams that are not playing for anything, and we’re just laying down. It feels like now we’re a target. It feels like teams are not taking us seriously.”

For a team that is barely hovering around .500 in the Eastern Conference despite having arguably the most talented roster in the conference on paper, what does that say when a key rotational player is being petty about losing to a bad team in the midst of a playoff run?

Chicago ran Thibodeau out of town, and while Hoiberg is the Mayor of Ames, Iowa, this is the NBA, and the whole Bulls’ situation this season has been one of the most chaotic quagmires in the entire Association this year. This team may have the talent to compete, but its complete lack of chemistry will ultimately cost them a chance at making the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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