Last year was a rough 365 days for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs fell apart in the playoffs, have started this year at a chilling 8-26 and in between were victims of LeBronGate. Through it all though, Daniel “Boobie” Gibson has remained a fan favorite. And now for the first time in his career, he’s been asked to be more than just a role player, more than just a standstill shooter. While Gibson has missed the past few games with a leg injury, he’s averaging career highs across the board with 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. We caught up with him recently to chat about his new role on this season’s squad and what it takes to become a deadly shooter.
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Dime: How has the season been going so far? Have you guys been meeting your expectations?
Daniel Gibson: The season has been, for me personally, it’s been good. The only reason why I can’t say it’s been great is because we haven’t been able to win a lot of games. As far as me getting an opportunity to play and an opportunity to play with the ball in my hands, I can’t ask for no more.
Dime: What’s the adjustment been like this year? Before you were a role player but now you are being counted on every night to get buckets. What’s that been like night in and night out?
DG: For me, it’s refreshing. I just felt coming into the NBA, I was capable of doing a lot of those things. But the teams that we’ve had and the teams that I’ve been on required me to do other things and so that’s what I tried to step up and do. So now, I’m required to do something a little different. I feel like it was in me the whole time, so just having that opportunity with Coach Scott, that means a lot to me. What I want to do is just take advantage of it.
Dime: Does it require any type of different mentality being one of the leaders on the team or did you always have that aggressive mindset no matter what?
DG: Right, I’ve never been afraid of any moment so I’ve always had that. But I was never required to do as much as I have to do now. So I think now, it’s a matter of me taking the mentality to the game of just being aggressive, of just understanding that my teammates are going to feed off me making shots and making plays so I can’t go out there and be passive on any night.
Dime: As a team, is there one thing your team could do better to string some rings together?
DG: I think we have to play defense first because we have a lot of guys on our team who are capable of shooting it and making shots. So in order for us to beat teams, we are going to have to stop teams. That’s going to have to be our main focus.
Dime: Obviously, you are known as being a really good shooter. Is that something that came naturally to you when you were younger or is it something that you developed as you got older and got into the league?
DG: My pops always told me, even when I was only a little boy and first picked up the ball, I could always make shots. If I couldn’t do nothing else, I could make shots. I kind of think that I was blessed with that ability. And as I got older and kind of learned the game of basketball, I try to outwork everybody. I try to be the first one there and the last one to leave. I don’t like anybody shooting more shots than me. I just try to outwork (everyone). I think that breeds confidence when you put in the time. That’s why I feel so comfortable with shooting and making shots. It’s because I’m so big on putting in the work and getting out what you put in.
Dime: Definitely. As a shooter, what’s the number one thing that you think you need? Is it a quick release? The ability to use screens? Pump-faking? What do you think it is?
DG: To me, I think it’s confidence. I think the biggest thing for a shooter in our league, because you play so many games and are going to go through spurts where you are not making shots, I think you just always have to be confident, confident in what it is that you do and what you are capable of doing at all times. Because in this league, everybody can play so I think it’s just a matter of believing in yourself at all times.
Dime: Uh huh. Now do you see a difference in the way guys play you? If they know you are a shooter, what type of things do they try to do to stop you whether you are coming off screens or you are on the wing or off the ball, what type of things do they try to do to someone like you?
DG: Oh for me, they try not to let me catch it and then when I do catch, they try to crowd me so I am not able to raise up and shoot. But what they don’t know is that allows me to get to a part of my game that I like also. That’s my in-between game: my floaters and getting into the paint, making plays and opening up drive-and-kicks for my teammates. So I think being able to have a jump shot as your weapon, it makes you 10 times quicker because they got to respect your ability to shoot the ball.
Dime: Do you think you are a better standstill shooter or are you better on the move?
DG: Hey, the way I feel about it, at any moment I can shoot the ball, I got a 90 percent chance of making that shot, whether it’s off the dribble or catch-and-shoot.
Dime: Give me a night that you can remember where you felt like you really had it going. Is there a way you can kind of tell or do you just have to go by the game? Can you sometimes tell before the game even starts that you are going to have a good night?
DG: Before this year, really the only opportunity I got consistent minutes was my rookie year. And that Game 6 (Eastern Conference) Finals against the Pistons, that was just one of those nights where I felt like every shot I took, it was cash. I don’t even think I had to look at the rim. If I could release it, I felt like it was going in. Even in college, I think I had a night like that. I think I had like 40 against Baylor (in 2006, he had nine threes and 37 points against Baylor). It’s just a feeling you get where it don’t matter who in front of you or where you are on the court, when you let it go, it’s got a chance.
Dime: Is there anyone in the league who kind of sticks out where you could say they guard you pretty well or guards you the best?
DG: I would say…I can’t really pick any particular person that guards me the best. I think that the teams that stick to whatever the game plan of not allowing me to catch it and not allowing me to get open. The teams that stick to it the whole, entire game and make you work for opportunities, those are the teams that probably have the most success. If you have a lapse, I’m gonna break you down. What makes me think of that is Ray Allen. When we play against Ray Allen, you gotta be locked in to him at all times of the game because that one split second where you think you can help – and you try to help – he breaks your back.
Dime: What are your expectations for your team the rest of the year?
DG: I think teams are going to feel us and teams are going to have to start saying when they play against us. They are going to have to bring their game or we are going to beat them.
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