Everything Serge Ibaka

[LJ2]

I'm really liking our big 3 with Serge entering the conversation. We're so balanced with Lowry playing like a real PG, Kawhi the do it all unstoppable force on both sides of the ball and Serge starting to become a force on D. Way more balanced than the other star driven teams that are trying to outscore teams.

[007]

Along with his scoring, Ibaka's also averaging a career-high 1.1 assists!

[planetmars]

Along with his scoring, Ibaka's also averaging a career-high 1.1 assists!

lol

[SkywalkerAC]

Lookin' great at that 5-spot.

[Nilanka]

One of the more noticeable changes has come in his shot selection, a combination of where coaches are placing him on the floor and a conscious effort on Ibaka’s part to be a more efficient offensive weapon.

Just take a look at his shot chart thus far this season. What immediately stands out are the amount of shots taken — and made — near the hoop:



This season, half of Ibaka’s field-goal attempts (49.2 per cent to be specific) have come from within 10 feet of the hoop, compared to just 29.6 per cent last season. Working in the flow of the Raptors offence, he’s wisely strayed away from shooting pull-up jumpers, which accounted for nearly 15 per cent of his shot attempts last season and is cut in half.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...-early-season/

[MixxAOR]

A lot of players lack humility and never simplify their games and realize what their roles are. Props to Serge

[Nilanka]

A lot of players lack humility and never simplify their games and realize what their roles are. Props to Serge

And props to Nurse for recognizing the potential here.

Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but I now cringe at last year's lineup of Ibaka and Jonas suffocating each other with their overlapping minutes.

[A.I]

And props to Nurse for recognizing the potential here.

Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but I now cringe at last year's lineup of Ibaka and Jonas suffocating each other with their overlapping minutes.

Problem is Ibaka isn’t a stretch 4, Casey tried to force him to be. He has a 3 point shot, but its not something he should constantly rely on. He is playing the 5 and hes scoring effectively around the rim and mid range area.

[golden]

Problem is Ibaka isn’t a stretch 4, Casey tried to force him to be. He has a 3 point shot, but its not something he should constantly rely on. He is playing the 5 and hes scoring effectively around the rim and mid range area.

The Luis Scola stretch PF role card was handed down to Ibaka (by way of Siakam), like sacred scripture etched onto stone tablets.

[DanH]

The Luis Scola stretch PF role card was handed down to Ibaka (by way of Siakam), like sacred scripture etched onto stone tablets.

It's astonishing that Patterson never got a real shot to start, considering he's the only PF (although Ibaka was actually fine there, this is being overblown) that fit the freaking role card for several years straight.

[Other Scott]

Problem is Ibaka isn’t a stretch 4, Casey tried to force him to be. He has a 3 point shot, but its not something he should constantly rely on. He is playing the 5 and hes scoring effectively around the rim and mid range area.

There's one major difference last year that Casey had to deal with in choosing whether to place Ibaka at 4 or 5, and that was the presence of Jakob Poeltl. If you had Ibaka as a 5, and JV as a 5, and Poeltl as a 5, giving minutes for all of them would have been a real challenge. And really, it's the fact that Poeltl was getting minutes last year instead of being stuffed at the end of the bench that allowed him to be the extra trade piece that went in the Kawhi trade, which is an overall net positive for the franchise.

Also, a large percentage of the time, Ibaka was playing at the 5 in important minutes last year when required. It's not like Casey ignored the possibility of Ibaka at centre entirely.

[JimiCliff]

It's astonishing that Patterson never got a real shot to start, considering he's the only PF (although Ibaka was actually fine there, this is being overblown) that fit the freaking role card for several years straight.

It really is being overblown. The problem was the playoffs (and may even have *directly* coincided with him being moved into the starting lineup?)

[KeonClark]

There's one major difference last year that Casey had to deal with in choosing whether to place Ibaka at 4 or 5, and that was the presence of Jakob Poeltl. If you had Ibaka as a 5, and JV as a 5, and Poeltl as a 5, giving minutes for all of them would have been a real challenge. And really, it's the fact that Poeltl was getting minutes last year instead of being stuffed at the end of the bench that allowed him to be the extra trade piece that went in the Kawhi trade, which is an overall net positive for the franchise.

Also, a large percentage of the time, Ibaka was playing at the 5 in important minutes last year when required. It's not like Casey ignored the possibility of Ibaka at centre entirely.

Yep, another flap of the wings in the butterfly effect that got us to this point: playing jv and ibaka last year made poeltl the trade chip. Win.

[GOLDBLUM]

The Luis Scola stretch PF role card was handed down to Ibaka (by way of Siakam), like sacred scripture etched onto stone tablets.

Love ya, Dwane.

[MixxAOR]