Toronto Raptors: Emergence of Serge Ibaka key to Raptors’ success

Contagious Confidence, Energy, and Hustle

The job of the “Sixth-Man” is so much more than being the first guy up off the bench. He needs to be able to jump-start the offense and energize his teammates.

Through the past two games, Ibaka’s energy has been unmatched. He is hitting the deck for loose balls, emphatically blocking shots, and putting his body on the line. This is the type of play that inspires teammates, gets the crowd going, and leads to higher morale.

Toronto needed Serge Ibaka’s swagger. With all due respect to VanVleet, he just does not play with the same energy Ibaka does. Where VanVleet allows his play to speak for him Ibaka wears his fiery emotions on his sleeve.

At a time where the Raptors were facing adversity, they needed Ibaka’s rockstar-like energy. In Game 5, Serge’s energy appeared to be contagious.

Ibaka’s hustle stats will not show up on the score sheet. However, the little things that he does to inspire his teammates could prove to make or break the Raptors.

Danny Green caught fire Tuesday night. Elsewhere around the lineup, VanVleet got the monkey off his back and Gasol scored a cool 11 points. Watching their teammate scratch, claw, and literally bleed for them undoubtedly helped the three aforementioned players get their rhythm back.