Toronto Raptors: Which players will lead each statistical category?
Rebounds
Last year: Serge Ibaka
If any category is up for grabs this season, it really looks like it will be who leads the team in rebounds. Serge Ibaka comfortably led the Raptors in rebounds last season, averaging 8.1 boards per night. A large portion of those numbers came while Ibaka was still in the starting lineup, though. As a bench player, his numbers dropped to 7.6 rebounds per game – but even then that would have led the team.
With Ibaka likely not starting nearly as many games this season, it’s fair to assume that his numbers will drop – but by how much?
Marc Gasol has averaged 7.7 rebounds across his career, but his numbers dropped to 6.6 boards per game once he joined the Raptors. He was more likely to box out and use his frame to shield players as the likes of Pascal Siakam and Danny Green got out on the break.
Even Siakam – who it must be said, needs to improve as a rebounder – pulled down 6.9 boards per game. It’s likely that he, Ibaka, or Gasol will lead the team in rebounds this year. It could easily be any of them, but if Marc Gasol features regularly as the starting center (which he obviously will) then my money is on him edging Siakam and Ibaka out.
No one is going to average double-digit rebounds, and it’ll be close between the three of them, but Gasol has the edge here. Just.