The Serge Ibaka Injury Changes Everything For The Oklahoma City Thunder
His importance is even more pronounced against the San Antonio Spurs.
In the four regular season games San Antonio this year, the OKC defense has been dramatically better with Ibaka on the floor.
As Royce Young of Daily Thunder points out, the Spurs scored 120.8 points per 100 possessions when Ibaka was on the bench, compared to just 93.0 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.
In chart form:
The sample size is small (a 37.8-point per 100 possession difference is bigger than the difference between the best defensive team in the league and the worst defensive team in the league in 2013-14), but the point is that Ibaka matters.
His versatility and rim protection are irreplaceable. He's the only OKC defender who can guard Tim Duncan one possession and Kawhi Leonard the next possession. He also prevents Tony Parker from attacking the basket and collapsing the entire defense off the dribble.
A fully healthy Oklahoma City would be the favorite in this series. They've gotten the better of the Spurs since their series in 2012. The Ibaka injury changes everything, assuming he really is gone until next year.