featured-image

Film Room: 5 Most Important Serge Ibaka Strengths

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By Josh CohenJune 24, 2016

Serge Ibaka excels in the pick-and-roll. In fact, he ranked ninth in the NBA this past season in pick-and-roll (roll man) scoring. Ibaka sets solid screens and he’s terrific when he slips to the basket. He’s extremely athletic and can take advantage of slower, more deliberate defenders. WATCH Ibaka score in the pick-and-roll with Marreese Speights and Marc Gasol guarding him:

Ibaka also thrives in the pick-and-pop. He has a terrific touch from 10-20 feet from the basket. As a matter of fact, Ibaka was one of only three players in the NBA this past season to shoot at least 49 percent from the field from 15 to 19 feet from the hoop with at least three attempts from this distance per game (Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Durant were others). WATCH:

There was a two-week stretch in Feb. 2012 in which Ibaka recorded 10 or more blocks in three different games. He led the league in total blocks in four straight seasons. While he hasn’t been quite as dominant of a rim protector the last couple of years, Ibaka is still a major shot-blocking threat. He’s especially effective chasing down opponents in transition and denying easy buckets at the rim. WATCH:

Ibaka is one of the more dynamic and versatile power forwards in the league. He has very good lateral quickness and he’s not a liability when he’s forced into defensive switches. Ibaka is generally able to stay in front of speedy guards and he’s excellent using his length to contest shots from the perimeter and layups and floaters near the hoop. WATCH:

While he shot only 32.6 percent from 3-point range during the regular season, Ibaka shot an incredible 45 percent from beyond the arc during the playoffs. With his ability to stretch the floor, Ibaka rarely clogs the lane which allows guards more space to operate when they attack the lane. Ibaka is especially comfortable shooting from the top of the key. He shot nearly 48 percent from this spot during the postseason. WATCH: