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When free agency started last month, Serge Ibaka believed he would return with the Toronto Raptors, his team since February 2017. He loved his teammates, the front office, the fans and the comfort he had developed with this organization.
But the Raptors had a different vision for their future, and that opened the door for Ibaka to find a different team. Cue the Clippers, and their recruitment pitch (c / o video of the Clippers, Mirjam Swanson On the question):
With a friend like Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles, it was obvious to Ibaka to move across the country.
It wasn’t just Leonard. The Clippers are a championship contender with all the talent in the world – at least on paper – and Ibaka is thrilled to have the opportunity to win another title.
“We only have one thing in mind, we come here to compete at a high level, to do better than what the team did last year,” Ibaka said on his press day Thursday. “I felt the Clippers were a perfect fit for me this year. It was not an easy decision to make. Because you know, I love Toronto, the last three and a half years have been great in our organization.
Coming from the Raptors gives Ibaka experience in winning situations. This is what he thrives in. As he said on Thursday, the pressure is good because it makes people better. That wasn’t necessarily the case for the Clippers in last season’s playoffs, and Ibaka certainly noticed when we watched from afar.
“From afar I felt they had it all,” Ibaka said. “Maybe just the way of doing it, you know all the little things well. You know, sometimes when you have the best players on paper you’re one of the best teams, sometimes you tend to forget all the little things, the details are very important too. So to me, from a distance, I felt like it was a lot of little things, details, you know, good habits. The team didn’t have it last year. I’m sure you learn from it, and I hope this year they learn from last year and try to do things better this year.
That’s part of why the Clippers brought in Ibaka – to change this team’s attitude on and off the floor. That, combined with his overall talent, is why the Clippers felt very lucky to be able to add Ibaka to their squad.
“Just being a veteran, being a professional, which has been his entire career,” said Ty Lue, when asked about Ibaka’s effect on the team. “Being able to space the floor, I think when you have a five-shot it changes your offense, and it also changes the opposing defenses, because now the guys have to go back to shooters. Having five guys on the floor shooting the basketball is huge, and it’s huge for your offense, so I think the offensive end is great, but what Serge brings as far as defensively, his backline speech or his presence to block shots at the basket, challenge shots at the basket, that’s huge for us. I know the NBA is scoring a lot now, but I think defense is very important to winning the championship, and having Serge’s presence on the defensive is going to be huge for us.
The Clippers needed a player like Ibaka who spoke on the floor, but also a player who could open the lines of communication in the locker room. Ibaka’s fun personality was on full display when he first appeared as Clipper, and if his relationship with Leonard is any indication, Ibaka will get along with everyone on the list.
Ibaka also fulfills a role in the field. He says he’s happy to fill the role the Clippers ask him to do, whether it’s supporting Ivica Zubac, playing alongside her in big squads, or even starting in Zubac’s place against an opponent. in particular. The Clippers clearly believed Ibaka was the perfect fit, and the feeling was mutual.
It seems it will take some time for Ibaka to come to terms with no longer being a Raptor, but the Clippers have made him feel wanted. It’s a good place to start.
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