No. 7: Serge Ibaka
Season Win Shares: 3.3 Current cap-figure: $21.7 million
No player has benefitted greater than Serge Ibaka from the introduction of Nurse’s offensive philosophies.
When Nurse was brought in to lead the franchise, the most affected parties were likely to be the big men of the roster. With Jakob Poeltl shipped to the Spurs, that impact was multiplied.
Now, with Ibaka shifted to the center position by way of Nurse’s desire for a stretch-five, he has found a groove.
In 29 starts this year, Ibaka has a posted career-high in scoring, shooting at a 53-percent clip from the field.
The highlight of the year for Ibaka came courtesy of a 34-point, 10 rebound explosion against the Los Angeles Lakers in which the big man shot 15-of-17 from the field. Amongst the success from the field, Ibaka made all of his first quarter attempts (eight) en route to 20 of the teams’ 42 first quarter points.
Outside of his breakout against the Lakers, Ibaka has scored in double figures in 30 different games, with 20 or more in eight.
When the Raptors signed Ibaka to a 3-year, $65 million contract prior to the 2017 season, this is the player they coveted. Outside of his blocks falling well below his career high of 3.7, Ibaka has provided extreme value for a team that is increasingly thin down low.
If the 29-year-old Ibaka can remain healthy entering the postseason, he will likely pose as a pivotal piece against teams that go small against the Raptors. Even if they go big, however, the former native of Congo is likely to be a key piece to a playoff run.
The only thing holding Ibaka back from being towards the top of the list is his $21.7 million price tag this year, the third-highest mark on the team behind superstars Lowry and Leonard.