Oklahoma City Thunder: Midseason Team Awards
By Jake Fielder
Dec 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Lakers forward Carlos Boozer (5) in the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka
Honorable Mention: Andre Roberson
I wanted to give this award to Roberson, I really did. Despite the young guard’s shooting woes, his defense has been nothing short of impeccable. His defensive rating is a strong 98.0 per 100 possessions despite frequently getting bodied up on the opposing team’s best perimeter player…but then I see Serge Ibaka do something like this and the obvious answer becomes well…obvious:
He’s like a freaking war hammer on defense. Serge is currently sitting in fourth in the league in blocks per game despite the emergence of Steven Adams and is actually sending back an insane 5.6% of all of OKC’s opponent’s two point attempts. It’s bizarre to think that a guy could drop in nearly every possible defensive statistic and STILL be the best rim protector in the NBA. His recent eight block effort against the Kings only served as a terrifying reminder that not even DeMarcus Cousins’ terrifying presence in the post can detour Air Congo.
There’s also the scary notion that having Durant back stands to greatly improve Ibaka’s flexibility on defense. Since Durant has returned, Serge Ibaka’s defensive rating has improved to an amazing 93.7 per 100. Without Durant? 101.0. Having Durant’s length out on the perimeter allows Serge to sink back toward the basket instead of having to worry about the opposition’s rangy forwards.
Simply put, Ibaka is already annihilating opponents at the rim. This has been huge in the recent three-game win streak for OKC as it forces opposing guards back to the perimeter where turnovers are far more likely to happen. For a team like the Thunder that rely so heavily on transition, I don’t think there’s any argument about why that is important.
Oh, and the fact that the metrics are pointing to him improving on defense over the second half? Yeah, Serge is a monster.
Next: Most Improved Player