Serge Ibaka fits in much better than Montrezl Harrell ever did for the LA Clippers, especially in the new Ty Lue run offense.
After the end of the bubble playoffs where the LA Clippers were eliminated in the second round by Denver, the thought was that the team just needed a few tweaks and they would be right back in contention in the Western Conference in 2021.
What happened after the end of the season puzzled many Clippers fans. However, in analyzing the changes, it makes more sense than we Clipper fans may have realized.
After Doc Rivers was unceremoniously jettisoned off the Clippers bench, Montrezl Harrell left the Clippers to sign with the “team in the other locker room”, aka the Lakers. How can a team with so much talent let Harrell, the reigning sixth man of the year, go to the Clippers’ main rivals in the Western Conference?
After the dust was settled, the Clippers signed Serge Ibaka to a 2-year, $19M contract. After analyzing the addition of Ibaka and the subtraction of Harrell, this move may be the savviest move that the Clippers made after the bubble playoffs.
This move really has nothing to do with the talent of Trezz and what he brought to the table. Being the sixth man of the year tells you all you need to know about his basketball acumen.
What this move comes down to is… who is the better “fit” with the Clippers with Ty Lue as coach? Is it Trezz, who is more of an isolation type of player in a Doc Rivers offense, or Ibaka, who thrives more in a movement type of offense under Ty Lue?
Serge Ibaka is a better 3-point shooter than people give him credit for. He is 36% in his career as a 3-point shooter. So far this year with the Clippers, he’s shooting ~ 40% from 3-point range. A small sample size no doubt, but his talents will fit in well with a more wide-open game employed by Ty Lue, as opposed to the old-school “iso” style of play employed by Doc Rivers.
Ibaka not only allows the Clippers to space the floor, but he brings a certain level of toughness and playoff experience gained being a part of the 2019 Toronto Raptors NBA Championship team. He’s also a very intelligent player who makes a limited number of mistakes.
It will be interesting to see how the season develops with Trezz playing for the Lakers, and Ibaka playing for the Clippers. I see a Western Conference Finals showdown between both teams in 2021. Both Trezz and Ibaka will play pivotal roles, and we’ll see which team made the right decision.