Toronto Raptors: The biggest surprises so far in 2019-20
By Jordan Skuse
The play of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol
Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol both entered the 2019-20 season with one year remaining on their respective contracts. Both big men are getting up in age, but both, when healthy, have played extremely well.
Gasol has dealt with hamstring discomfort, understandable considering how much basketball he’s played in the last 12 months. Last year’s big trade deadline acquisition remains one of the NBA’s elite defensive centers, and Gasol’s three-point percentage (40.3) is the highest of his career when you omit outlier years where he rarely attempted shots from beyond the arc. Expected to return after the upcoming break, Gasol’s fitness down the stretch of the regular season is going to be something Toronto’s medical staff monitors closely to avoid overtaxing the Spanish international. Make no mistake how critical Gasol’s presence is to Toronto’s overall success – his experience come playoff time will be invaluable.
Meanwhile, Ibaka, at 30 years old, is having a career year in 2019-20, dominating at both ends of the floor and making opposing defences pay with his pinpoint shooting precision. Ibaka’s true shooting percentage (59.2) is the highest since his 2012-13 campaign, spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His 15.9 points per game are a career high.
As was always going to be the case, more than few players were going to have to step up after it became known Toronto wasn’t going to re-sign Kawhi Leonard. To date, both Gasol and Ibaka have succeeded in picking up the slack, both doing so in different ways.
If Toronto is to repeat as champs in 2020, the team is going to need both its big men firing on all cylinders once the postseason fun begins.