Toronto Raptors: Serge Ibaka looks to bounce-back in a new role

After a disappointing postseason, Serge Ibaka will look to bounce back this year. A disappointment since the trade, can Ibaka finally be the player the Toronto Raptors expected him to be?

The Toronto Raptors postseason performance last season was filled with disappointments. However, there was no player more disappointing than Serge Ibaka.

Ibaka, once promised as the Raptors “missing piece,” had an up-and-down regular season. His postseason performance contained no “ups.”

During the regular season, Ibaka averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 27.5 minutes per contest. He scored efficiently, maintaining an effective field goal percentage of greater than 55-percent.

Once the playoffs hit Ibaka’s numbers instantly took a dip. His points, rebounds, and blocks all decreased, despite playing a similar amount of minutes per game. The biggest problem, his shooting efficiency cratered. Ibaka’s effective field goal percentage dropped below 48-percent, including a dismal 43.8-percent on shots from inside the arc.

Ibaka’s performance hit rock-bottom when he coach Casey decided to bench him in a critical game three against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That’s all behind him now. With a new head coach in Nick Nurse and what appears to be a new role, Ibaka will look to bounce-back this season.

Despite what happened last year, Ibaka has a skill-set built for the modern big-man. He’s a long, rangy defender, provides excellent protection around the rim, and spaces the floor offensively.

He’ll never be the force he was back in Oklahoma City, but Ibaka does have the skill-set to be a productive player, and if Toronto wants to reach their full potential this season, they’ll need him to be.

For the Raptors, it’s about playing to Ibaka’s immense strengths and hiding his glaring weaknesses.