There’s no debate that this year’s Toronto Raptors are good. Between Kawhi putting up MVP numbers and Lowry dropping dimes everywhere, the Raps look virtually unbeatable. Toronto’s sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Conference and show no sign of slowing down. What may be the biggest surprise on this team, however, is the outstanding play of Serge Ibaka.
When Toronto traded for Ibaka back in 2017, they expected to receive a defensive force who sent back any shot that came his way. Instead, what they got was a declining PF who was struggling to adjust to modern basketball. Although his offensive numbers were pretty consistent with his years in OKC and Orlando, Serge didn’t impact winning. He also forced way too many shots, playing hero-ball when he should’ve made the smart play.
Ibaka shoots a good percentage from three-point land, but the shots he missed were cringeworthy. Eventually, he gained the reputation of slowing down Toronto’s pace, and Raptor fans became unhappy with him. All of this changed with the hiring of Nick Nurse.
Unlike Dwane Casey, Nurse hasn’t been scared to shake up the lineups game to game. Depending on the team they’re facing, the Raptors have been testing multiple lineups in hopes of matching up better, especially down low.
In the past, Toronto normally started Jonas Valanciunas at the pivot spot. However, his traditional style has matched up poorly with the modern styles of today’s centers.
Something Coach Nurse has frequently done this year is starting Serge Ibaka at C and having JV come off the bench. This opens up the paint and gives Ibaka the opportunity to score where he’s comfortable instead of jacking up awkward shots from elsewhere.
In the games that Kawhi has missed, Serge is averaging almost 27 points and grabbing over nine boards. He was even able to put up a career-high 34 points against the Lakers. Ibaka has shown that he’s a reliable backup scorer and opposing teams are starting to take note.
Looking away from the stat-sheet, Ibaka’s hustle is what’s stood out most. Serge was lazy at times when rebounding, and he’d take dumb shots just for the fun of it. This year, it seems like he flipped a switch. Serge’s been crashing the offensive glass with tenacity we haven’t seen since his early days in OKC.
Although his block numbers have declined, Ibaka is still a legitimate force on defense, and his versatility to guard both the 4 and 5 has made a huge impact on the Raptors. Only time will tell if Ibaka keeps up this pace, but early on in the season Serge Ibaka has been the Raptors secret weapon.