{"id":4790,"date":"2017-03-01T09:51:18","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T14:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=4790"},"modified":"2017-03-02T01:07:37","modified_gmt":"2017-03-02T06:07:37","slug":"toronto-raptors-trade-acquisitions-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/03\/01\/toronto-raptors-trade-acquisitions-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating the Toronto Raptors’ Trade Acquisitions: Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Raptors’ acquisitions of power forward Serge Ibaka<\/a><\/strong> and small forward P.J. Tucker<\/a><\/strong> significantly increased the team’s chances of returning to the Eastern Conference Finals. In part one of a two-part series, let’s\u00a0look at what Ibaka brings to the table for the Dinos, especially in the wake of the injury to star point guard Kyle Lowry<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Evaluating the Toronto Raptors’ Trade Acquisitions: Part One \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Serge Ibaka<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rim Protection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Throughout his eight-year career, Ibaka’s defensive prowess has been his trademark. The Congolese big man came into the league as a raw, muscular 20-year-old, displaying\u00a0his potential early on<\/a>\u00a0in his rookie season.\u00a0In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers\u00a0in November 2009, he hauled in 13 rebounds and blocked five shots while coming off the bench.<\/p>\n

Since then, Ibaka\u00a0has\u00a0evolved\u00a0as a player,\u00a0ranking top five\u00a0in blocks per game in five of the past seven seasons. He reached his shot-blocking peak in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, leading\u00a0the league in blocks per game for each of those years.<\/p>\n

Ibaka immediately addresses the Raptors’ interior defensive issues. Before acquiring the big man, Toronto’s best shot blocker was Lucas Nogueira<\/a><\/strong>, the team’s backup center who plays just 21 minutes\u00a0per game. Aside from Nogueira, no one on the team averages more than one block per game. The two closest are\u00a0energetic power forward Pascal Siakam<\/a><\/strong> (0.9 BPG) and starting center\u00a0Jonas Valanciunas<\/a><\/strong> (0.7 BPG).<\/p>\n

In his first three games\u00a0with the team, Ibaka has already shown flashes of\u00a0defensive dominance.\u00a0During the Raps’ matchup with the Trail Blazers on February 25th, there was one instance midway through the second quarter in which Ibaka simply elevated high above Portland center Jusuf Nurkic<\/strong>, preventing him from getting his shot off\u00a0at the rim. Plays like that not only cause fans to drop their popcorn, but also show just how valuable the big man can be as Toronto’s defensive anchor.<\/p>\n

While Ibaka may be listed as a power forward, he has shown time and time again the ability to slide to\u00a0the five and guard centers, with \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 well above-average rim protection. His nickname, “IBLOCKA,” is well-deserved.<\/p>\n

Floor Spacing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At the start of his career, a\u00a0consistent jump shot was not part of Ibaka’s offensive arsenal. Oh, how the times have changed. Not only can Ibaka consistently knock down mid-range jumpers, but he’s even stretched his range out beyond the three-point arc.<\/p>\n

In his first three NBA seasons, the former Oklahoma City Thunder star attempted six three-pointers\u00a0total<\/em>. As the NBA has evolved into its current iteration \u2013\u00a0one that emphasizes a high volume of\u00a0three-point shots \u2013\u00a0so, too, has Ibaka’s game.<\/p>\n

Since the 2012-13 season, Ibaka has shot 734 three-pointers, converting on 36 percent of them. While the Raptors are already a solid three-point shooting team, making 37 percent of their three-pointers (9th in the NBA), Ibaka’s consistent shooting touch can’t hurt.<\/p>\n

Rebounding<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ibaka averages 7.3 boards per game for his career.\u00a0Even when he doesn’t haul in a rebound\u00a0himself, he’s often in on the action, elevating above the nine other players on the court to tip a rebound to a teammate. He did that multiple times during the Raptors’ match-up against the\u00a0Trail Blazers.<\/p>\n

The Raptors rank 25th in the league in total rebounds, hauling in 42.5 per game. Ibaka should help the team patch up that issue.<\/p>\n

How Should Head Coach Dwane Casey Utilize Ibaka?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Given the fact that Ibaka has only played three games with Toronto, Head Coach Dwane Casey<\/strong> is still\u00a0seeking out ways to utilize the power forward most effectively.<\/p>\n

With Lowry likely<\/a> out for the rest of the regular season (or close to it),\u00a0Casey needs to increase Ibaka’s role on offense. Ibaka should be the clear number two scoring option behind DeMar DeRozan<\/a><\/strong>. Casey could run more plays for Ibaka, emphasizing the 6’10” forward’s strength in the\u00a0paint. Most of the time, Ibaka\u2019s strength alone will allow him to beat his defender to the cup.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, when Ibaka does enter the post, he’s not always looking to score. In Toronto’s game against Portland, Ibaka found Valanciunas inside, creating excellent post position for his frontcourt partner. Valanciunas finished the game with 15 points, on an extremely efficient 7-of-8 from the field. Casey should explore the two-man game between the team’s big men even further.<\/p>\n

All stats are accurate as of February 28th.<\/em><\/p>\n

Part two of this series will focus on P.J. Tucker, the Raptors’ second acquisition prior to the trade deadline.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Main Photo:<\/h5>\n
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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n