On Sunday, I wrote
that it appeared as though Serge Ibaka
was on his way out of Orlando and now it is official. The Orlando Magic have
traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 1st round draft pick. The
Associated Press were the ones to break the story.
Before I address what this trade means for the Raptors, let
me quickly touch on what this means for the Magic. The Magic are currently
21-37 and virtually out of the playoff picture. By making this trade, the Magic
ensure themselves that they get something back for Serge Ibaka: Terrence Ross,
a solid wing who averages 10.4 points per game and a first round pick that
might be used as a building block for the future.
What’s important to know is that Terrence Ross won’t be an
unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2019, so he’s not a guy who the
Magic have to worry about leaving in free agency next summer. Considering that
Serge Ibaka was likely to leave in the summer, this is actually a decent move
for the Magic.
Switching over to the Raptors, at 33-24, they are 7 games
back of the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and 4.5 games back of the #2 seeded
Boston Celtics. They are really in need of making a move and this particular
move is a low-risk high-reward kind of move, which is the best kind of move to
make. Terrence Ross isn’t a bad player, but isn’t a guy who was vital to their
success, either. As for the draft pick, the Raptors are in “win now” mode,
hence they shouldn’t be worried about building for the future in the same way
that the Magic are. What they are parting with isn’t all that valuable and what
they are getting back could change the course of their season for the better.
DeMar DeRozan is
averaging 27.7 points per game while Kyle
Lowry is averaging 22.8 points per game. Together, the two of them form a pretty
potent one-two punch, but so far they haven’t proven to be effective enough as a duo to the get the Raptors over the hump.
This is where Serge Ibaka comes in. Ibaka can be that third scoring option that
the Raptors feel that they need while also providing quality rim protection and
rebounding down low.
Ibaka is averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks
per game while also shooting 38.8% from three-point range, which makes him one
of the more versatile big men in the NBA. He has an ability to beat you out on
the perimeter with his three-point shooting in addition to beating you on the
glass inside.
I think Serge Ibaka’s ability to protect the rim is just as
important to the Raptors as his ability to score. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 12.4 points per game and 9.9
rebounds per game, but only blocking 0.7 shots per game. 7-footer Lucas Nogueira has done a really good job protecting the rim with 1.7 blocks
per game in just 21.7 minutes of action, but he is still not ready to be
getting the minutes that Serge Ibaka will be getting. Ibaka will be able to
provide a more consistent rim protecting presence in the Raptors’ frontcourt,
which should make them much more versatile and dangerous.
As far as what this move will do for the Raptors in terms of
the playoff picture, they are right back in the discussion to be the team that
will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Boston
Celtics deserve to remain the favorites for now, but by adding Serge Ibaka, the
Raptors have greatly improved their team and have positioned themselves nicely
to make a serious run in the playoffs. Ibaka gives them another scoring threat,
better rim protection, and versatility. The Raptors have been lacking a piece
to their championship puzzle and Serge Ibaka just might be that missing piece.
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