Losing Serge Ibaka is a big deal for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
How's that for a leading candidate in the "obvious statement of the day" race?
There are certain elements of Ibaka's game that the Thunder will ultimately be unable to replace. No one can step into his defensive shoes and protect the rim like he both could and had been doing throughout the postseason. OKC's guards are no longer going to be able to run pick-and-pops with as much success, simply because none of the remaining bigs have jumpers nearly as threatening.
"We're going to play team defense," Russell Westbrook told reporters after the news broke that the Thunder's Congolese big man was ruled out. "We're not going to take the onus on ourselves to block shots and do what Serge does, because nobody can do that."
So what can the Thunder do?
Above all else, it boils down to Scott Brooks shifting the rotations around. He must strike the proper balance between small ball and a more traditional lineup, which can be tough against a strategic mastermind like the one the San Antonio Spurs will have on the sideline during t ...
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Article written by Adam Fromal
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May 17th, 2014 by Adam Fromal Leave a reply »
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