Why the Celtics Should Set Their Sights on Serge Ibaka

Remember the rhetoric prior to LeBron James‘ final season in Miami? It seemed like all that speculation of him returning to Cleveland was just the blabber of talk show hosts on slow news days.

Remember how nobody suspected LaMarcus Aldridge would leave Portland? Everyone thought the Trail Blazers would be playoff contenders for the foreseeable future, but as they stand today, they’re a bottom-five team.

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If Durant Leaves OKC…

My point is, some things come as a complete surprise. So what I’m really hoping for is Kevin Durant to sign with the Celtics next offseason. Will that happen? 100% no. But could he leave Oklahoma City? Possibly…

While I’m not hear to speculate if he’s leaving OKC, I am hear to fantasize about the aftershock of a Durant departure and speculate how it could benefit the Celtics.

If Durant decides not to re-sign with the Thunder next offseason (when he becomes a free agent), the Thunder’s front office could make some last minute roster adjustments to ensure the team will avoid NBA purgatory: the place mediocre teams get stuck in when they’re too good for a high draft pick and too bad to win a playoff series.

Whether or not the Thunder’s preventative measures involves getting better or worse, I cannot say. But I’m hoping these measures include the flipping of Serge Ibaka.

Serge Ibaka: Paragon of the Modern NBA

Although it’s Durant and Westbrook’s names that immediately pop into your heads when you think of the Thunder, Ibaka’s almost as valuable a player. He’s absolutely perfect for teams embracing the direction of the modern NBA. Between his range and shot-blocking, Ibaka’s the perfect player for small-ball lineups, which have become prevalent in the NBA.

By traditional standards, Ibaka’s a power forward, but teams playing small can easily integrate him into their lineups at center. As a center, he’ll help improve a team’s offense because of his ability to run the floor and shoot from behind-the-arc.

So far, the 25-year-old Serge Ibaka has already made three All-Defensive First Teams and led the league in blocks twice. He averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season and grabbed 8 rebounds per game as well. At 6’10”, Ibaka’s marginally undersized at center (barely) but with his aggression and shot-blocking prowess, he more than compensates for any lack of height.

Although he’s only played power forward to this point, he’ll likely see more minutes next season now that the traditionalist Scott Brooks is gone. However, Ibaka will need to anchor the defense even more so now that Kendrick Perkins has been replaced by the saloon-door of a defender, Enes Kanter. The Thunder could legitimately be the only team where Enes Kanter could fit. He’s a post-up specialist with zero defensive ability. Ibaka will help compensate for his lack of defense while giving him plenty of space to post-up down low, considering Ibaka’s ability to spread the floor.

Ibaka didn’t add the three-point shot to his game until last season, when he shot 205 threes and made 77 for an impressive 37.6%.

The only issue is Ibaka won’t be a free agent until the 2017 offseason, so the only legitimate shot of him leaving OKC before then is if Kevin Durant leaves next year. If Durant opts to stay, however, expect Thunder GM Sam Presti to keep the core intact.

How he’d Make Boston a Contender

The Boston Celtics have a terrific defensive back court. So how great would it be if we could pair them (Smart and Bradley) with an elite defensive front court? The team would become a top-five defense in the league and immediately become a top-four team in the East.

The Celtics offense was described by some as a “Pace and Space” offense, meaning it played at an extremely fast pace, while spreading the floor with shooters. Even though it proved effective enough to clinch a playoff berth, it ranked the 18th worst in offensive efficiency. The C’s took a ton of three pointers but had the 27th worst percentage from behind-the-arc. But that’s what you get when you have Jared Sullinger taking over three three-pointers a game but making only 28% of them.

With Ibaka, he’d give the Celtics an elite shot-blocker, in addition to an elite stretch-four. And with our current personnel, he’d fit well playing alongside Kelly Olynyk or Tyler Zeller. Just as Ibaka’s currently compensating for Kanter’s poor defense, he could be doing the same here in Boston for Olynyk.

The Celtics will need to send the Thunder the mother lode of picks in order to entice them to free Ibaka. Of course, this would first require Kevin Durant to spurn the Thunder and head elsewhere.

Next: Why the Celtics Need Evan Turner (For Now)

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