NBA

Serge Ibaka To Win Defensive Player Of The Year?

SergeIbaka_Thunder_USAT4_2014

Serge Ibaka, the Oklahoma City Thunderโ€™s shot-blocking luminary, may collect the leagueโ€™s prestigious Defensive Player of the Year award in the next few weeks. While critics and fans alike have taken note of Ibakaโ€™s increasing offensive contributions this season, his already-impressive defensive prowess has markedly improved as well.

He tops the league in Defensive Impact (statistics measuring defense, considering blocks, steals and defending the basket); players defended by Ibaka are shooting just 44.2 percent at the rim this year. Plus, he leads the league in total blocks (209). Ibaka is averaging 15.2 points and 8.6 rebounds compared to 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds last year. Heโ€™s logging increased numbers in assists, steals, field goals and even three-pointers. He ties teammate Kevin Durant in double-doubles (27) despite averaging about six minutes less in playing time.

Ibaka provided a remarkably straightforward and simple answer when asked to explain what in particular has led to his improved season.

โ€œJust focus,โ€ Ibaka told Basketball Insiders. โ€œFocus, because being in a league where everybody works hard, you definitely (have to) be focused and try to consistently do that.โ€

At just 24 years old, with his prime still years away, what is the ceiling of the 6โ€™10 power forward? How much better can he get?

โ€œCeilings are fiction, to be honest,โ€ veteran Derek Fisher said. โ€œYou can go as high as you want. I think Serge has not just all the physical abilities, but the mindset of coming to work every day to work hard and get better. Come in early, before practice, after practice, weight room, taking care of his body, rest, recovery; so, as far as he wants to take it, thatโ€™s how far he can go.

โ€œHopefully we go into the offseason the way we want to. I donโ€™t worry about Serge in the offseason. Heโ€™s definitely going to get better regardless how he ends this season.โ€

Durant and Kendrick Perkins appear ready to give Ibaka the Defensive Player of the Year designation now. He ranked among the top three in DPOY voting in the past two seasons.

โ€œHeโ€™s the best defensive guy in the league, I think, for his position,โ€ Durant said.

โ€œHe does a great job defensively,” Perkins echoed. “I donโ€™t know how you canโ€™t give him Defensive Player of the Year.”

As Thunder coach Scott Brooks continually points out, stats provide valuable information in measuring Ibakaโ€™s many contributions, but they certainly donโ€™t capture how many shots and plays he alters as he greets opponents entering the paint.

โ€œThatโ€™s what makes our defense good,โ€ Brooks said. โ€œWhen everybody is participating, and when we do have a breakdown, heโ€™s out there backing everybody up and covering for everybodyโ€™s mistakes.

โ€œHeโ€™s right there with the best defensive players in the league. Heโ€™s right there with the Defensive Player of the Year.โ€

Whether one subscribes to his โ€œIBlockaโ€ nickname or โ€œThe Serge Protector,โ€ Ibaka deserves a lot of credit for helping the Thunder maintain its fifth ranking in Defensive Rating throughout the recent injuries to top defenders Thabo Sefolosha and Perkins.

โ€œItโ€™s incredible,โ€ said Sefolosha of Ibakaโ€™s ability to protect the paint. โ€œBut at the same time, we donโ€™t want it to turn into a curse where we just let guys go to the basket hoping that Serge is going to be there to block shots. We got to guard our man.

โ€œThe way he changes shots, the way he blocks shots, the way he grabs the rebounds, heโ€™s a force out there. And weโ€™re definitely happy to have that.โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s been doing it all season long,โ€ Russell Westbrook said. โ€œHeโ€™s the best shot-blocker in the league.โ€

Ibaka has certainly come a long way from those early days when Brooks relied on hand gestures during practice as he was learning English. While his accent remains fairly pronounced, Ibakaโ€™s communication skills have proven to be a real difference-maker in reaching higher levels of play.

โ€œItโ€™s pretty scary sometimes,โ€ shared Reggie Jackson on the language barrier. โ€œYou donโ€™t know if he has the best understanding of basketball, and heโ€™s playing this well. Itโ€™s just scary to see whatโ€™s going to happen when he puts it all together.โ€

Those fans cheering on the top row of the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City can hear Ibakaโ€™s booming on-court instructions as he directs the defense. He says Perkins has been instrumental in helping him become a vocal presence; in turn, is he teaching the Thunderโ€™s rookies how to improve in that area?

โ€œOf course,โ€ Ibaka replied. โ€œHelping the rookies, like Steven (Adams). Heโ€™s young. Andre (Roberson), you try to help them. Thatโ€™s what I did. Thatโ€™s what makes us different and everybody tries to get better.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m starting to understand what Serge is talking about in the back,โ€ newcomer Caron Butler said with a smile. โ€œIโ€™m catching on to his accent; itโ€™s coming.โ€

Fisher explains how Ibakaโ€™s improved communication has added value in other tangible ways, such as in mentoring his teammates and providing sound leadership.

โ€œI think thatโ€™s one area where heโ€™s continued to mature and feel more comfortable stepping into a leadership role vocally in terms of saying the right things to his teammates, speaking up when he feels like something is on his heart or on his mind,โ€ Fisher said. โ€œThat all factors in to being on a team and being part of a group. That also adds value to your team, so thatโ€™s an area where heโ€™s continued to improve. I think heโ€™ll continue to bring value to the organization in that regard.โ€

Jackson summarizes his view of Ibakaโ€™s season thus far.

โ€œHeโ€™s been spectacular,” Jackson said. “Heโ€™s been great for us, especially in pick-and-pops. Heโ€™s just been hot. Probably the best guy in the league at it, Iโ€™m pretty sure of that.

โ€œHeโ€™s been shooting the ball pretty well. Heโ€™s been understanding whether to pick-and-pop, the times he needs to roll, (and) heโ€™ been doing a great job of finishing at the basket for us strong. Heโ€™s still just been a tenacious defender. The skyโ€™s the limit for him. Heโ€™s so athletic.โ€

As for Ibakaโ€™s opinion on how improve his game, he said this: โ€œJust keep working, working on my defensive moves. On offense, keep working to shoot better and try to keep (getting) better on defense, too.โ€

In a league full of players devoted to excelling on the defensive end of the floor, move Ibaka even higher on that list. The panel of sportswriters and broadcasters casting their ballots for the Defensive Player of the Year may decide heโ€™s at the very top this season.

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Jeff Hawkins
Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.

All posts by Jeff Hawkins
Author photo
Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.

All posts by Jeff Hawkins