Toronto Raptors: Whose stock is up/down, including Kyle Lowry’s resurgence

Serge Ibaka – Stock Up

Who would have thought that Serge Ibaka would take the most threes for the Raptors against Milwaukee?

If you have your hand up right now, you’re lying, and you should hang your head in shame. Go on, do it. I dare you. Serge attempted 11 three-pointers and knocked down four of them, not overly efficient sadly. Ibaka scored 22 points and added six boards and four assists, he was one of the better players for Toronto on the night and couldn’t dig in for the win.

Serge once again took the most shots for the Raptors against L.A., this time he was a lot more efficient. 11-18 for 25 points and nine boards, Ibaka continues to attack the rim. He is extremely comfortable taking the mid-range jumper, which is almost guaranteed money at this point. He had three blocks on defense too, which is a sign that he can still protect the rim on a nightly basis.

Just like I mentioned earlier on in the column, the Ibaka/Lowry pick-and-roll game was a nightmare for Golden State. Ibaka was setting hard screens and running to the rim uncontested at times. Serge carried on defending the rim hard and grabbed 12 boards for his efforts too. Rebounding has proved to be an issue for the Raptors this season and Serge showing a willing effort to crash the boards will be a huge help for them going forward.

The more games he plays at the five, the more comfortable he looks like an elite big man in today’s NBA. He just needs to knock down those triples more consistently.

See you next week, folks!