Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse says big man Serge Ibaka has accepted his bench role in the most professional manner.
The Raptors acquired Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies at the February trade deadline. Nurse decided to insert Gasol into the starting lineup and move Ibaka to the bench.
No player in the NBA wants to be benched. Nurse, whose Raptors are tied with the Orlando Magic at 1-1, praised Ibaka for the way he handled the whole situation.
“I give him a lot of credit because he's accepted it and played well,” Nick Nurse told Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network. “He didn’t wanna go to the bench. He wants to start. It wasn’t easy after the trade immediately. But he’s been a true professional. He’s handling it great.”
Serge Ibaka struggled in the Raptors' Game 1 loss. He put up just five points in 19 minutes. The veteran rebounded well in Game 2, though, as he scored 13 points in 23 minutes to help Toronto win by 29 points.
During the regular season, Ibaka averaged 15.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, 29.0 percent from beyond the arc and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line. He started 51 times and came off the bench in 23 contests.
The Raptors have to win one game in Orlando to reclaim home-court advantage.
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