Toronto Raptors: Changing positions revitalized Serge Ibaka’s career

The Toronto Raptors have found a top ten center and his name is Serge Ibaka. A change in positions has revamped and revitalized Ibaka’s career.

Serge Ibaka has been a disappointment since coming to the Toronto Raptors. Unfairly labeled the “missing piece” when acquired, Serge did make an impact in his first postseason, even if it was not as great as Raptors fans had hoped.

He was rewarded for his efforts with a considerable three-year $65-million contract. Functioning as an above-the-cap team, Toronto had few other options. Team president Masai Ujiri made a bet that with full offseason to gel, Ibaka would settle into his role and at least approximate near $22 million of value per season.

He was wrong. The following season, Ibaka played at about a league-average level.  He averaged 12.6 points per game and scored relatively efficiently, but provided no other value offensively. He continued to block shots, but despite his reputation, had developed into an average defender.

Ibaka wasn’t playing up to his contract. However, he was playing well enough to help the Raptors win. With Ibaka starting all 76 games he was available to play, the Raptors broke the franchise record for wins and earned the first overall seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors fell apart in the playoffs. A primary catalyst in their demise was the play of Serge Ibaka. Ibaka’s scoring, efficiency, rebounding, and defense all took a hit in the postseason. In a critical game three against the Cleveland Cavaliers, coach Dwane Casey even elected to bench Serge Ibaka for the first time all season.

Ibaka looked slow, old, and like the game had passed him by.

Fast-forward to this season. Ibaka is attacking the hoop, rebounding like he is 22, and has become a defensive presence once again. So what’s changed? It’s not Ibaka, but the role that he is playing.

Changing positions

Last season, under Dwane Casey, Ibaka played approximately 87-percent of his time at power forward. Ibaka spent more than 70-percent of his minutes alongside ground-and-pound Jonas Valanciunas. Occasionally, Toronto would play “small” with Ibaka at center. However, it was always the exception, rather than the rule.

This year, under Nick Nurse, Ibaka is playing at center full-time. No exceptions. Ibaka has spent zero minutes alongside JV and has spent 100-percent of his minutes at center, according to basketball reference.

Early on, the results have been undeniable. Serge is scoring more, rebounding more, and playing better defense than last season.

It’s not that Serge’s flaws don’t exist.

He still can’t post up.

He isn’t much better at making decisions.

Instead, he isn’t being asked to do those things as much.

When playing against traditional centers, Ibaka doesn’t need to post up. He’s quick enough and a competent enough shooter to take advantage of old-school bigs on the perimeter.

Play without a traditional rim-protector and you open yourself up to dribble-penetration and rim-runs.

Playing small at power forward can impact your defense in a few different aspects. Playing small at center is an entirely different challenge.

Ibaka’s offensive explosion is not due to some unsustainable shooting start. In fact, so far this season, Ibaka is shooting significantly worse from three-point range.

Instead, the Raptors have simply allowed Ibaka to attack the hoop. Last year, Ibaka attempted 30-percent of his shots within 10-feet of the rim. This year, with no traditional centers clogging the lane, Ibaka has increased that number all the way up to 50-percent!

Defensive impact

Defensively, the Raptors have allowed Ibaka to return to where he is most comfortable. Back around the basket, Serge has become a rim-protector once again.

Last year, 40-percent of Ibaka’s defensive contests where within six feet of the rim. On those contests, he lowered opponents’ effectiveness by 4-percent. This season, 44-percent of Ibaka’s contests have come within six feet of the rim. On those contests, he has lowered opponents’ effectiveness by 18-percent!

The transition makes sense. When Ibaka first came into the league, power forwards regularly played around the hoop. The Oklahoma City Thunder needed a low-post presence to matchup with the likes of Carlos Boozer, Pau Gasol, and Tim Duncan.

The power forwards of the Raptors top competition in the East, Jayson Tatum, Dario Saric, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, feature a much different skill-set.

The game has drifted towards the perimeter and specifically the three-point line. As Ibaka has aged and lost athleticism, it didn’t make sense for him to drift out there as well.

Ibaka is where he belongs now and is thriving because of it.