The evolution of Serge Ibaka and Pacal Siakam adds strength to the Raptors

Any NBA team studying how to deal with the Toronto Raptors faces an extremely complicated task.

When it comes to getting ready for the Raptors, opponents can not afford to focus solely on star limitation Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard. Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam also cause a lot of headaches with their evolutionary game.

The Raptors, 11-1, are the only remaining team of a defeat in the NBA. Back home after sweeping a game of four games on the West Coast, they sit at the top of the league after the best start in their franchise history. Lowry averages 11.3 badists per game – 135 overall – both at the top of the standings. Leonard played only eight games, but averaged 26 points, eight rebounds, 3.3 badists and 1.8 steals in those games, which is a perfect match for his new team. It is therefore natural to focus on these two aspects.

If the opponents, stuck in the fast-paced whirlwind of their NBA calendar, have no strategy much beyond these two stars, it's easy to get burned by the booming game of Ibaka and Siakam.

Ibaka was sometimes mediocre these last two seasons, but his opponents must suddenly look at him again. He managed in his transfer to the central position of Power Forward this season. The 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds he has on average are the two peaks of his nine-year career in the NBA. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Congolese excels with more time in painting and poses defensive challenges to the opposing centers with his athleticism. Jonas Valanciunas, the 7-foot center of Ibaka and Toronto, has now split the position. They are not on the ground at the same time, which has created more space.

"Yeah yeah, I like that. I'm starting to be more comfortable, "said Ibaka. "It makes it easier for us to have one big guard and four guards on the outside, that gives everyone the floor."

Ibaka says the stellar cast of Lowry's logs makes things easier for everyone. Ibaka does not live so often beyond the bow. He scored 3.9 points at three points per game last season and only 6.4 points at two points. This year, he tried 2.3 points deep and 10.2 points at two points, and achieved much more success. He and Siakam are both in the top 5 of the NBA, with a two-point shooting percentage. Ibaka had a career high of 34 points last week in Los Angeles.

"You have to choose which one you do best. Not everyone can do everything at a high level. So you choose the one that you think can help your game, "said Ibaka." Myself, sometimes, I like to have this one in the early painting to have the confidence to continue. I will not try to force a search for three, but if all three are open, I will shoot. "

The average opposing center of 7 feet has trouble chasing Ibaka.

"There is not a lot of [centres] it can protect him, "Siakam said of Ibaka. "It can come out of the midrange and also [small forward], and that makes it difficult for many [centres] to keep it. In addition, many [power forwards] are like little ones, so it's probably hard for him to follow them, but having him [centre] it's great for him. The spacing is better and he is able to make the difference. "

Siakam, now in its third NBA season, has been a huge source of energy for this year's Raptors. He is no longer the raw talent that you have seen mainly with the bench crowd. This year, Siakam has started 11 of 12 games in Toronto. He averaged 12.5 points and seven career rebounds.

The Raptors are at home for the next three games. Saturday, they will welcome the 4-8 Knicks of New York at 15 hours. tipoff. Premature starts could be difficult for a team that has just returned home after a week-long trip to the West, including four night games in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. The pelicans of New Orleans are going Monday, while the Pistons of Detroit come to town Wednesday for a match that will probably be moving. The Pistons are led by former Raptors coach Dwane Casey.