OKC Thunder: Top-10 players in franchise history
By Tony Heim
4. Serge Ibaka
We have officially reached the Fantastic Four.
Oklahoma City chose Ibaka over James Harden, a choice that continues to look worse and worse as the years pass. This isn’t a slight on Ibaka though; harden is just that good.
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In his seven seasons with the Thunder, Ibaka became known as one of the best defenders in the league. He could guard any position on the court, showcased in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. Although he never won the Defensive Player of the Year award, Ibaka routinely was voted into the top five. He also was named to the First Team All-Defense three times in his tenure with the Thunder.
Ibaka’s potential was clearly stunted while playing with KD and Russ; he very well could have been a better player than Harden. While Harden went on to thrive in Houston, Ibaka stayed put in Oklahoma City, developing into one of the better role players in the league.