The first domino has fallen in the Eastern Conference trade frenzy. Serge Ibaka was traded to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and the Raptors first round pick. This gives Toronto a quality big man that can make a serious difference in the playoffs. The Magic…well let’s try not to kick a man while he’s down.
Ibaka was one of the big names on floating around in trade talks. With the trade deadline coming up at the end of February, teams are making the push to secure a play maker for the end of the season and the playoffs. As usual, Boston fans are expecting a big move to push the C’s into the number one spot in the East and vie for a title. Toronto and Boston were the two teams that have enough assets and young talent to entice a team to trade with them. Now that Toronto has made their move, the Celtics have the opportunity to make some waves before the trade deadline. Unfortunately for them, the players are running out.
Ibaka would have been a major addition the Celtics. He adds rebounding, something the Celtics need to improve on, and another big that can stretch the floor. This year he is averaging close to 40% from beyond the arc making him one of the most efficient big men in that category. Now that he is with Toronto, it could spell trouble for the Celtics.
They now have a lineup that only needs one of their two star point guards with Ibaka to produce quality three point opportunities. Before the trade, they mostly used Patrick Patterson off the bench to fill this role. In limited minutes he was effective, but now playing both bigs at the same time can yield big time results.
The Celtics don’t necessarily have a good match up when it comes to this. Horford is someone who has the ability to guard someone like Ibaka, but that leaves someone like Patterson free to roam. The Celts just don’t have another solid defender that can match up with the 4 or 5 positions. In a playoff scenario, the Toronto Raptors have the players and the skill to expose this weakness for the Celtics. All of this is a moot point if the Celtics can make a big trade before February 28th. We’ll have to wait and see.
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