Transforming Serge Ibaka into a playmaker
Serge Ibaka as a passer
Serge Ibaka is in a role on this team the Oklahoma City Thunder never asked of him. And that goes with his potential playmaking as his usage rate increases. When I say playmaking, I am strictly talking about the opportunity to get assists from spreading the ball around at the power forward position.
Ibaka never had an opportunity in his career to be a playmaking power forward because he was on a roster with arguably two Hall of Famers who made plays. His role was to shoot when the ball did work its way to him.
It is well documented how great of a playmaker Russell Westbrook is — with him being mentioned in the same breath as Magic Johnson for triple doubles — and Kevin Durant can create off of the dribble with the best small forwards in the game.
Ibaka went from being the third best player on a championship caliber team — like Chris Bosh or Kevin Love — to being the best player on a non-playoff team.
Therefore Ibaka is thrust into a position he is not too familiar with, being perhaps the best all-around player on a roster. A position that may demand him to increase his assists considering the demise of talent that exists in Orlando compared to Oklahoma City.
That role comes with a lot of responsibilities. A role that is not as unfamiliar for his position as you may think.
Take for instance, Draymond Green‘s emergence as a playmaking power forward. Green has taken on a role as a facilitator in the Golden State Warriors’ motion offense. He helps relieve some of the passing and playmaking burden from Stephen Curry so he can do what he does.
Ibaka can learn a thing or two from Green and the role he plays for the Warriors. He can take off some of the enormous pressure placed on the shoulders of his teammates Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon to become playmakers in 2017.
Ibaka last year averaged only 0.8 assists per game and has never averaged more than 1.0 per game in his career. A lot of that is certainly part of Ibaka’s role on the Thunder. Ibaka had only 1.7 potential assists per game, according to NBA.com Player Tracking stats. He created 1.3 adjusted assists per game — taking into account free throw assists and secondary assists.
There is clearly some potential for Ibaka to create more assists. And in a larger role, he could easily eclipse 2.0 assists per game, putting him more firmly among power forwards as a top passer.
A successful season for the Magic should be for them to develop an offensive chemistry with their best all-around player, considering the best defenders on this team joined the roster last summer.
Ibaka transforming into one of the team’s playmakers will specifically help this starting lineup.