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

Strengths

Serge Ibaka has the strengths every team wants in their modern big-man.

Offensively, Ibaka’s biggest asset is his ability to stretch the floor. Last season, Serge shot 36-percent from beyond the arc, right around league average. Not exactly an impressive selling point as a “strength.”

But Ibaka’s efficiency doesn’t tell the whole story. Just as important is his volume of three-point attempts. Last year, Ibaka attempted 3.9 three-point attempts per game. That ranked third on the team, only behind three-point specialist C.J. Miles and notable marksman Kyle Lowry.

Attempting that many shots from beyond the arc keeps constant pressure on the defense. Knowing that Serge isn’t afraid to let it fly keeps his defender glued to him, preventing the defensive player from sagging into the paint to play help defense.

This season, with Ibaka expected to play at center more often, that skill-set will be even more valuable. The Utah Jazz most valuable player on either end is Rudy Gobert on defense. Ibaka can essentially neutralize him merely by hanging around the three-point arc.

On defense, Ibaka provides valuable rim protection without being a liability on the perimeter. That’s a rare combination to have.

Many players (Jonas Valanciunas) can provide solid rim-protection. Unfortunately, they can quickly be taken advantage of in pick-and-roll coverage. Others (Pascal Siakam) can defend in space but don’t offer a back-line deterrent.

Ibaka offers both. A rare combination and something the Raptors can build their defense around.