The year he left Oklahoma City, Serge Ibaka was almost 27 years old, the most mature age of his career, but he had to start a hike. Played for the Thunder for seven full seasons, from the immature-faced little brother beside the "Three Young Men" to the tired middle-aged man, Ibaka carried his luggage and left behind the passion of youth. Trauma, escape from the nostalgic and sad city.
He was like a big ship whose mast was blown off by the northwest gale, wandering aimlessly around the sea, the lights of Orlando Port were dim and he couldn't hold his inner wandering. So Ibaka stayed and rested for a short time and started the next journey. This time he drifted to Toronto, which was farther away, and soon he knew that he could finally dock.
The Raptors’ career once made Ibaka feel distressed, but he soon found the sustenance of his soul. He shares the same goal with those who are eager to prove himself-to reverse the wasted years. Fight back against the fallen destiny. Ibaka followed the Raptors to win the first championship of his career, and his life suddenly became brighter. The life of the 30s came just right, although it was not early but it was not too late.
Thirty-year-old Ibaka is beginning to understand...
The blazing flames in the "forge"
2008 In 2017, the Seattle SuperSonics participated in the last draft in team history. They will move to Oklahoma next season and be renamed the "Thunder." The Sonics drafted two players in the first round in 2008. Russell Westbrook was selected with the fourth overall pick. The 24th overall pick that was not noticed was Serge Ibaka.
Ibaka’s childhood life was extremely difficult, and the chaotic environment did not make him despair of life. He put all his energy on basketball-basketball genes are the only thing left to him by his parents wealth. Brought from the land of Africa to the European arena, Ibaka worked hard to climb step by step and never stopped. The efforts were not in vain. Ibaka won the favor of NBA teams.
But Ibaka stayed in Spain for another season after being drafted, so he "repetitive" did not land in the NBA until 2009. That year, the Thunder moved to Oklahoma and selected James. -Harden. The three young players selected in the past two years made the Thunder team shine quickly. The youth storm swept the NBA league. Time does not care about troubles, and rushes forward.
That was the best time for the Thunder. The fire of youth was thrown in the furnace of the years. Ibaka was burning in the furnace, and the jumping flame flashed the wanderings of the past. Dance, bid farewell to the sadness of the past; dance, bid farewell to the pain of the past; dance, those bleak times will eventually pass; dance, there is a bright road ahead.
is a tough guy
After Serge Ibaka joined the Thunder, he, like James Harden, must be from the bench. Fight. The Thunder's inside combination is Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green. Ibaka needs to learn to adapt to the NBA rhythm, but he did a good job-averaging 18.1 minutes per game, contributing 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. .
The second season gave him more playing time, and Ibaka also contributed more. In the third season, Ibaka was already the team's iron starter. Ibaka's deterrence at the basket is very strong. He is very good at blocking opponents. The number of blocked shots in the first three seasons of entering the league has been increasing-2.6, 3.2 and 4.8 blocked shots per 36 minutes. .
Seeing Ibaka's game, people always exclaimed, "He is a tough guy!"
The Thunder team was very successful in building the 2009-10 season. Eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, 2010-11 Western ConferenceLost to the Mavericks in the final, defeating the Spurs in the 2011-12 season to reach the finals. Although known as the "Three Thunders", the youthful Ibaka plays a key role in the team. The tough guy guards the team's penalty area and fights his opponents strongly inside.
The first trip to the finals ended in defeat, but that was also the end of an era early.
The choice after its prosperity and decline, fate is involuntary
The Thunder made a decision in the summer of 2012-a decision that was scolded countless times in the future — -Traded James Harden and renewed Serge Ibaka in advance at the same time. This is an important turning point for Ibaka. The higher the income, the greater the responsibility. Ibaka, who has entered the ranks of tens of millions of players with annual salary, bears heavier burdens.
Pressure can make people progress, but it can also make people confused. Ibaka was a little confused at this time. The team suffered successive changes, which affected Ibaka's performance in the Thunder. He is like a lost lamb, unable to find the motivation to move forward, and this is precisely the portrayal of the Thunder team, injured, confused, wandering, and sinking.
Suiyue sighed silently, but turned his head and gave the Thunder another blow.
In the 2015-16 season, the Thunder experienced a reversal with a 1-3 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Durant turned and left after the season. A prosperous but ruthless era bid farewell. The youth once held high hopes, the proud son once selected by the times, was ruthlessly washed away by the torrent of years, from blooming flowers to broken walls, with many vicissitudes in the blink of an eye.
Ibaka also left. Unlike Kevin Durant, he cannot control his own destiny. The Thunder couldn't wait to send him to the Magic, as if to sacrifice him to let Durant see the team's changes, but Durant joined the Warriors without looking back. For Sergi Ibaka, the annoyance behind him has nothing to do with him. He wants to start another life.
A drifting life, a lucky destination
was traded to the Magic’s Serge Ibaka, who met his former "old man" in Orlando —— Jeff Green, the inside competition of the Magic at the time was quite fierce, Biyombo, Vucevic, Damian Rudz, well, there were spectators playing a Mahjong table. But Ibaka still has some gains there, increasing the number of outside shots, and this has been continued in the following time.
drifted, and started drifting, and then was traded again in the middle of the season, the next stop in Toronto.
Things Ibaka had never experienced before, appeared twice in this season, but Ibaka got used to it all during his childhood, he knew what he was going to do to change himself. It is true that he cannot control his own destiny. Trades always happen easily. No one will consider the feelings of the players, but he must work hard so that he will not be abandoned.
The fact is exactly the same. Ibaka stopped in Toronto, where it became his habitat, brightly lit and bright. Serge Ibaka has a firm foothold in the Raptors. He and the Raptors players set off toward their dreams. The crown of the 2019 Finals fell on the Raptors. In the blooming fireworks, Ibaka smiled brightly, which was the medal of victory for the Rangers.
That year, Ibaka was thirty years old, and her grace faintly followed the dust, and her fame and fame leisurely developed.
Ibaka's offensive change-efficiency improvement
Ibaka just arrived in the Raptors At the time, his performance was still a bit ups and downs, which was also a low point in his career.Nick Nas picked up the pointer in the 2018-19 season. His use of Ibaka has changed. Ibaka swayed back and forth between the starting and the bench. One thing is very crucial. Nick Nas gives full play to the advantages of Ibaka’s offensive end -of course, this is Nick Nas’s coaching style.
played hard at the basket and felt good at close range. The position near the basket was the comfort zone where Ibaka scored. In the season that the Raptors won the championship, Ibaka also made a high percentage of shots from long range, and he played the best season to join the Raptors. In the playoffs, Ibaka's performance was not stable enough, but in the last three games of the Finals, Ibaka averaged 16.7 points.
When the championship lineup changed, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green left the Raptors, and Ibaka changed himself in the change. The area close to the rim is still maximized, and he has reduced his mid-to-long range two-point shots and put more shots outside the more "affordable" three-point line. This season, he averaged 3.3 shots from the three-point line and hits. The rate is 39.8%.
The lineup was missing two generals and failed to completely destroy the Raptors. The team's performance in the new season is quite stable. To a large extent it lies in the overall improvement of the team. Every player in the lineup is trying to make up for the lack of offensive end. Ibaka is the backbone of the Raptors' internal line-Mark Gasol's injury and condition , Making Ibaka have to bear more.
Ibaka's defensive end change-standing on the fence
Ibaka's early years of physical fitness Known for his best shots, he is his masterpiece and his signature on the court. He won the league's shot-blocking champion twice in the Thunder. Later, his block data continued to decline, but he was always able to average more than 1.3 blocks per game, but for the first time this season, he fell below 1.0 per game. He averaged only 0.8 blocks per game, his lowest season in his career.
But the decline in the number of blocks does not mean that the defensive efficiency has declined. In fact, Ibaka has done a good job defensively this season. From the NBA's official defensive data, Ibaka's defense against opponents' three-pointers, the opponent's shooting rate is only 30.7%, which is -5.1% lower than his season's shooting rate; while defending opponents' two-pointers, the opponent's shooting rate is only 30.7%. 48.7%, which is -4.7% lower than his season's field goal percentage.
Ibaka's defense is relatively stable, the defensive area is relatively broad, extends beyond the three-point line and can well limit the opponent's shooting. He can easily interfere with opponents' shots, and his performance beyond the basic data is worthy of recognition. However, I have to say that Ibaka's footsteps are not as good as before, and his defense against small guards has declined significantly.
The Raptors averaged 108.4 points per game this season, the ninth-lowest team in the NBA.
At the end of the thirty-year-old, I started to understand
If this season continues, Ibaka’s birthday will probably be in the middle of the season. At that time, he should say goodbye to his thirty years old. Thirty years old is like a pot of wine, no longer strong or pungent, the sweet agarwood is deeply intoxicating, just like the taste of years. Ibaka has gone through the wind and rain at the age of twenty, and through the confusion of the twenty-year-old, he finally matured. The
championship is the best tranquilizer. He makes the players who are desperately eager to win and the championship calm, calm, quiet, and far-reaching. At least Ibaka’s world is integrated into these beautiful scenes. He is more efficient in the arena, no longer using fierce muscles as sharp weapons on his body, he makes himself smarter and no longer be bothered by impetuosity.
Mingda suddenly understood, at the end of thirty years old, Ibaka began to understand.
Sun Yanzi’s singing sounded and heard these two sentences, "It’s better to have yesterday, but tomorrow is your own."
（文/颜无锵）
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