Raptors fan here...is Ibaka going to live up to our fanbase's hype?

[JAY DASH]

Play him at the 5. You will have a chance to beat CLE.

Thompson will average 20 RPG.

Yea I don't know where this Center talk is coming from. Serge would get annihilated by Tristan on the boards. I think Serge fits in well with the Raps though. He's a better shooter than Patterson and is an upgrade in every other way as well. He won't fight anyone for rebounds but he can grab a few that fall in his lap. He's also pretty solid against stretch 4's. Best way I can describe him is a finesse PF that can block a couple of shots.

I knew we weren't getting the Ibaka from 3-4 years ago so I wasn't disappointed with the way he played here. Other fans had unrealistic expectations. Good role player and that's all the Raps really need. In a winning environment and a great atmosphere like the Air Canada Centre I expect them to get a more energized Ibaka than the one we got here.

[Shady Franchise]

Oh and I firmly believe that he is not his listed age. Maybe 2 or 3 years older. His athleticism isn't what it used to be.

To add here: Ibaka had a bone scan when in Spain showing he was about 18 years old. Those scans mean he was certainly less than 20, but he could very easily be 1 or maybe even 2 years older than his listed age.


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Wish we hadn't brushed off the the age rumors when we traded for him. It's too late for Toronto though. Not our problem anymore.

[Max Power]

Don't expect Karl Malone with Ibaka. He's a decent stretch 4, and a good help defender when motivated. Gave the Magic 15 and 7, and he'll do exactly the same with the Raptors. He has no business being the lead attraction for any team. Should suit the Raptors well come playoff time.


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[EasternMagic]

Serge can't be a number one option. He'll do fine in Toronto. He's an average stretch four who's help defense is good. His attitude seemed to be the problem, but that can be aligned with false expectations for this season. In Toronto, he knows he's not the guy. But he should still get to be more of an impact player than he was his last year in OKC. This should be a good fit for him. I'd imagine his rebounding improves as well because the spacing on the floor will create some room for him.

[fendilim]

I think he'll be good playing the 5. He'd be playing what you expect. With the small ball these days, his shot blocking is negated by the stretch fours.

[Orium]

The games where Serge gave a full effort, he always played really well. Because of Orlando's rebuild situation, there were many times when he just wasn't that interested in the game (as well as many other of our players). I wouldn't say this season is indicative of his overall game, because again, his effort/motivation was sometimes lacking. The Raptors squad is much further along than the Magic, so I would expect a more consistent performance in Toronto.

It's still a big gamble if Serge will resign though, because he clearly wants to be on a well developed contender.

[fendilim]

I would say that most Magic fans never embraced him with open arms. Victor was a fan favorite on this team and was well loved in the community.

But if you look at the numbers, Ibaka is actually playing better than he did last year and even have better efficiency (on bigger role too) than VO. And yet, most people think the trade was a failure because VO is better.

[Xatticus]

Oh and I firmly believe that he is not his listed age. Maybe 2 or 3 years older. His athleticism isn't what it used to be.

To add here: Ibaka had a bone scan when in Spain showing he was about 18 years old. Those scans mean he was certainly less than 20, but he could very easily be 1 or maybe even 2 years older than his listed age.


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That is if you trust the veracity of the parties involved. His agent was the one that had the bone scan done, so I wouldn't simply accept it as fact without proper investigation.

He might very well be his listed age, but if all you knew about him was the listed age and his current productivity, you would never believe he was ever a plus athlete or elite shot-blocker.

[drsd]

That is if you trust the veracity of the parties involved. His agent was the one that had the bone scan done, so I wouldn't simply accept it as fact without proper investigation.

You trust science. Science is about facts. Ibaka had a series of X-rays that proved without any doubt that his bones had not fully fused to cartilage. That means he MUST have been 19 at the most (I round that up to 20). Thus Ibaka cannot be more than 29 years old today. That is a fact; a fact of science.



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[MagicFan101]

With Lowry, Derozen and Val playing alongside him I think he can do very well.

These guys aren't Durant and Westbrook so I believe he can have a bigger role there than OKC just as Orlando had hoped for. But those guys are obviously far better than what Orlando has so he should do better than he did here.

I think he will compliment your stars well. Unfortunately, he likely wants to be paid like another star...

[Xatticus]

That is if you trust the veracity of the parties involved. His agent was the one that had the bone scan done, so I wouldn't simply accept it as fact without proper investigation.

You trust science. Science is about facts. Ibaka had a series of X-rays that proved without any doubt that his bones had not fully fused to cartilage. That means he MUST have been 19 at the most (I round that up to 20). Thus Ibaka cannot be more than 29 years old today. That is a fact; a fact of science.



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Well... we can dive into this. The science involved doesn't actually verify that an individual is below a certain age. There are a lot of assumptions made about the validity of these sorts of tests, which is why there is always a second test conducted in the case of a positive result on drug tests and the like. Because the tests themselves aren't that reliable. It's based upon statistical probabilities. It is very probable that if the veracity of the results can be verified, Ibaka was below a certain age at the time of the test. That's completely different from being factual.

If you care to re-read my post, you will find that I called into question the legitimacy of a test that was orchestrated by his agent. Whether you care to believe it or not, scientists aren't above reproach with regard to ethics. Many scientists are paid to argue that smoking is harmless and global warming is a myth.