Start Ibaka?

[Joel Embust]

Do you think he'll be a starter next season or will it take him a couple more seasons?

[dream_catcher_9]

Do any of you guys see a raw version of KG in Ibaka?

long and thin wiry frame with good strength. Great quickness and athleticism, good defender, mean streak, touch on his jumper, kind of likes it too much..

maybe a really raw version but I see some similarities, anyone else? wiff?

[wiff]

I can't say I see a young KG. KG was/is more fluid.

Ibaka seems like the game might be slowing down for him a bit. But I can't say Ibaka is a smooth player offensively. He still at times seems to rush a bit yet they are still dropping for him.

It doesn't seem to me that Ibaka has much of a shooters touch, if any. Where a guy like KD can toss a ball up and if it catches iron it seems to bounce around and in. Ibaka it's either a swish or hard off the iron.

Doesn't mean Ibaka isn't effective it's just hard to say who he reminds me of.

Physically watching him run and play D he reminds me of a guy he played tonight in Theo Ratliff. But I think Serge will have a better jumper than Theo.

But to me Theo Ratliff with a better jumper is sensational.

[Jimmy76]

I see Ibaka as a future starting big for us

and as a PF he's definitely preferable to green

[TS2MC13]

He still has to develop. In the future is see him as a starter of course.


my first post btw

[Jimmy76]

He still has to develop. In the future is see him as a starter of course.


my first post btw

welcome

thunder board could definitely use some more posters/posting

[slick_watts]

Ibaka isn't very fluid, and his hands are horrible. He doesn't block as many shots as Ratliff, and probably won't, but that's a good comparison. A solid starter on a good team would be his ceiling, IMO, unless he somehow improves his hands and ball skills.

[PerkinsFor3]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ibaka probably isnt the long term answer at C, right? He's very strong and athletic, but seems to be a bit undersized still. Standing next to Duncan he seemd much smaller somehow.

[slick_watts]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ibaka probably isnt the long term answer at C, right? He's very strong and athletic, but seems to be a bit undersized still. Standing next to Duncan he seemd much smaller somehow.

No. He's a PF. Ibaka is too lean to play center effectively. He's built more like Amar'e or David West in my opinion than, say, Kevin Garnett.

Ibaka's been excellent since the All Star break. He's shooting almost 60% TS, rebounding the ball well, blocking shots.. really, the only obstacles for him are mental. If he devotes his summer toward improving his knowledge of the game and getting it slower / making better decisions he could start at PF for us.

[NetsForce]

It probably doesn't make sense starting Ibaka especially at the PF position until the Jeff Green situation is figured out.

Let the guy maintain or even up his value as a starter maybe move him in the offseason and then go from there...

[fallacy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ibaka probably isnt the long term answer at C, right? He's very strong and athletic, but seems to be a bit undersized still. Standing next to Duncan he seemd much smaller somehow.

He's the same height as howard, 20 pounds less though. He's not undersized at center unless howard is. He is more likely to be a PF though

[slick_watts]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ibaka probably isnt the long term answer at C, right? He's very strong and athletic, but seems to be a bit undersized still. Standing next to Duncan he seemd much smaller somehow.

He's the same height as howard, 20 pounds less though. He's not undersized at center unless howard is. He is more likely to be a PF though

Howard's at least an inch taller than Serge (Howard's listed measurements are from when he was 18 years old predraft) and a couple of inches longer. He also has a much larger frame. Serge doesn't have the same build, he's very lean (like Amar'e).

[wiff]

I agree that Ibaka is more of a PF than a Center. But Jeff Green is more of a SF than a PF and he is starting at PF.

Green would be the perfect 6th man. But I see Ibaka most likely starting at C.

The list of 6'10" centers is almost as long as 6'9" PF. Not ideal but it can work. If Big Ben can be an All-Star at Center. Or Dennis Rodman play PF, Serge can play at Center.

We have all wanted to see what would a front line look like with Green and Durant next to a defensive, rebounding, shot blocking center.

Those are the three things he does best at this point.

As much as I'd liketo see him start at PF I jut think it is most likely he will start at Center.

[glowsticks]

Green would be the perfect 6th man.

I am probably wrong here, but I feel he sadly isn't a good fit for this team, even as a 6th man. With Durant playing most of the minutes at the 3, how can Green get much minutes there? We also have Thabo taking minutes at the 3 as well. I'd imagine Durant's production is maximized at small forward, and it would be stupid to play him at the 4 unless we could use a much smaller lineup.

So, Jeff Green is basically our backup 4 as a 6th man, a position he doesn't exactly excel at. I'd say our best hope for him would to get an majorly defensive center to cover up his post game flaws. However, look at Rashard Lewis, who is stinking it up at the 4 as well, even with the best defensive center, and overall center, in the league.

It's all very frustrating as Green is tight with Durant and the rest of the team, even if trading him would be a very good thing for this team.

[TS2MC13]

I have the feeling if we don't start Krstic he is gonna end up like Rasho Nesterovic...

[Krodis]

Everything I look up, statistically, points to one thing: Ibaka is a good Power Forward and a bad Center. So I'd like to see him play at the 4 if possible.

Now, entirely possible that this changes with more experience/body development.

[slick_watts]

Everything I look up, statistically, points to one thing: Ibaka is a good Power Forward and a bad Center. So I'd like to see him play at the 4 if possible.

Now, entirely possible that this changes with more experience/body development.

Agreed.