There’s a reason Taj Gibson can sleep a little better at night.

It’s not because his teammates are healthy going into the All-Star break this weekend. Jimmy Butler (right heel) toughed out practice Monday as a limited participant. Nikola Mirotic (back spasms) sat out, and Dwyane Wade (right wrist) and Paul Zipser (left ankle) were away for MRI exams.

It’s not because the Bulls are coming together. They finished off a six-game trip with three consecutive losses.

And it’s not because help is on the way. Coach Fred Hoiberg downplayed the trade talk surrounding the team.

“I haven’t talked much about that,” Hoiberg said. “All 30 teams are calling each other. I’m sure most of them are lying to each other until those last couple of days before the deadline [Feb. 23].”

Hoiberg was asked if he sensed there would be changes.

“None that I’m aware of,” he said.

Gibson is smiling — maybe smirking is more appropriate — because the Bulls are fortunate enough to play in the Eastern Conference. They entered Monday with the No. 7 seed at 26-29.

“The thing is, we still have a chance to land in a good spot,” he said. “We’re still a playoff team.”

The Bulls might not have much postseason staying power, but Gibson hopes the team can gain some momentum when Wade and Butler get healthy. A strong track record against top conference foes also provides a sense of belief.

“Just gotta do the small things, get back to ground zero, figure things out,” Gibson said. “Be ready, man. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. It’s going to take everybody. Just round up the cattle and be ready to move out again.”

First, it’s about getting all the cattle back. They might not be back by Tuesday, when the Raptors visit the United Center. But Hoiberg said that shouldn’t matter.

“We had four guys out [Sunday], but it gave guys opportunities to play,” he said. “Those guys have been waiting for those. There’s no excuse. Those guys are out here practicing. They’re NBA players. You have to go fight and give yourself a chance. We didn’t do that against Minnesota. These guys are itching for their opportunity. Now it’s about performing, doing things the right way, building the right habits for a lot of guys who haven’t had a lot of playing time.

“But that’s what it’s all about, getting your name called and taking advantage of your opportunities.”

Especially when your name was called in the first round of the draft. That means Bobby Portis, Doug McDermott and Denzel Valentine need to show first-round ability.

The Bulls must start playing with urgency. After hosting the Celtics on Thursday, they’ll have only 25 games left when they return from the break.

“That’s the message to the guys: We’re fully capable of playing good basketball,” Hoiberg said.

The great thing about the East is an average team can be good enough.

Follow me on Twitter @suntimes_hoops.

Email: jcowley@suntimes.com