Serge Ibaka is a massive upgrade for the Clippers at center

Losing Montrezl Harell was a blow to the Clippers. Signing Serge Ibaka turned his departure into a big positive for Los Angeles. 

The Clippers were left with a giant hole at center when Montrezl Harrell elected to take his talents to the Lakers. Credit the team’s front office for filling the vacancy emphatically with the signing of Serge Ibaka.

Harrell may have won the Sixth Man of the Year Award at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, but his fit with the Clippers’ roster moving forward was awkward at best. His inability to shoot the ball from the perimeter complicated Los Angeles’ ability to space the floor for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

His lack of size on the defensive end made him a poor matchup against the likes of Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. That’s why the Clippers frequently elected to go with Ivica Zubac at center in the postseason despite his own mobility issues.

Signing Ibaka to a reported two-year deal for a total of $19 million is going to prove to be a major upgrade for the Clippers. The 31-year-old big man isn’t going to become a foundational building block for the team’s long-term future, but he does provide Los Angeles with a player who can go a long way towards helping them win an NBA title next season.

What can Serge Ibaka do for the Los Angeles Clippers?

On offense, Ibaka’s ability to shoot a quality percentage from behind the three-point line is going to do wonders to open up the Clippers’ halfcourt offense. He shot 38.5 percent from distance last year on 3.3 attempts per game for the Raptors. In particular, his willingness to take a high volume of corner 3s is going to open the lane up for everyone else on the roster.

His impact will be just as significant on defense. Ibaka has the lower body strength to guard physical centers in the post even when he’s at a disadvantage in terms of height. He also possesses just enough quickness to protect the rim even when he’s asked to make difficult rotations that cover lots of ground. Ibaka can’t switch on point guards and shut them down, but he’s more versatile than Harrell ever was on that end of the floor.

The real luxury for the Clippers is that they have enough depth at the center position to avoid the temptation to play Ibaka too many minutes in the regular season. Zubac could easily remain the starter and he can soak up 25+ minutes per night against most teams.

That would allow Ibaka to conserve his energy until Los Angeles really needs him. There will be postseason series where he needs to play over 30 minutes per night if the Clippers want to stay competitive in the low block. That’s where the Ibaka signing will really pay off.

Signing Ibaka to a relatively modest contract won’t dominate the headlines in Los Angeles, but it’s nothing short of a great piece of business for the Clippers.