Toronto Raptors 2016-17 player grades: The starters
By Nate Wolf
Serge Ibaka
Two weeks ago, I wrote a piece suggesting the Raptors should move on from Ibaka. I’ll refrain from rehashing too much of that column, but I stand by this: Ibaka had a decent season, but it didn’t make much of a difference for Toronto.
Brought in to help solidify Toronto’s defense and play off Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan on offense, Ibaka put up solid numbers. He had14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting a blistering 39.8 percent from three-point range.
Defensively, Ibaka helped bring Toronto’s defensive rating from a middling 106.0 points per 100 possessions before his arrival to an elite 102.3 afterwards. He and P.J. Tucker largely offset the long-term absence of Lowry.
But Ibaka’s warts, which may be more easily concealed on a different team, hurt Toronto at times. Ibaka can’t pass. Period. And that’s a problem for a team with so little playmaking. He takes too many turnaround jumpers. And that’s a problem for a team that already lives on midrange shots. He and Valanciunas work poorly together (-1.8 net rating). And that’s a problem when his backup, Patrick Patterson, works so well with Valanciunas (+13.7 net rating).
Ibaka did his job for the Raptors. He added more skill and athleticism to their frontline. Maybe Toronto falls to Milwaukee in the first round without Ibaka, although that seems to downplay the possible impact of Terrence Ross. With or without Ibaka, the Raptors weren’t going to beat LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
The Congolese big man is a free agent this summer. Ujiri should think long and hard about the Cavaliers’ dominance, and Ibaka’s impact, before offering a new contract.