<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Serge-Ibaka-Paul-George-Clippers.jpeg"></figure><h1>3 best trade destinations for Clippers’ Serge Ibaka</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-01-13T04:30:03-08:00">January 13th, 4:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-01-13T04:30:26-08:00">January 13th, 4:30am</time><address><a>Kousha Kangarloo</a>Based in Washington D.C., Kousha Kangarloo loves playing sports (basketball, volleyball, football, golf and tennis) and working out. He loves music (Calvin Harris, Wu-Tang Clan, The Strokes), traveling bothdomestically and internationally, and he enjoys a good stand-up comedyshow. Lastly, he really enjoys outdoor recreation (hiking, biking,paddle boarding, etc.) and he absolutely nerds out about James Bond,Star Wars, Marvel, True Detective, and Jurassic Park.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the Clippers looking to open up salary cap space and make moves at the trade deadline that benefit the long-term success of the team, it’s becoming more likely that Serge Ibaka will be dealt ahead of the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. Even though he’s noticeably been on the decline this season, there still could be a fair share of suitors that will come inquiring about his services. In this post, we’re looking at Serge Ibaka trade destinations.</p><p>After all, there’s plenty of teams in need of frontcourt depth and Ibaka’s skills could prove to be a better fit on a new team. His skills and experience would definitely be a major asset to a contending team that’s currently lacking size and length. So without further ado, let’s now discuss the three best trade destinations for Ibaka ahead of this year’s NBA Trade Deadline.</p><h2><b>Serge Ibaka Trade Destinations</b></h2><p><b>Golden State Warriors </b></p><p>Still awaiting the return of James Wiseman, the Warriors have been getting by and done much better than expected with Kevon Looney at center. However, they still lack quality depth at the center spot outside of Looney, and adding an accomplished NBA veteran like Ibaka, could be a solid move for them to make. Plus having an additional vet with championship experience would only benefit them in the latter half of the season as their younger players continue getting acclimated and learning the ropes of Golden State’s up-tempo<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-shouts-out-rookie-for-impressive-defense-against-stephen-curry/" rel="noopener"> two-way style of play</a>.</p><p><b>Milwaukee Bucks </b></p><p>After parting ways with DeMarcus Cousins, the Bucks now have an opening in their frontcourt rotation that may be a perfect fit for Ibaka. As they continue to search for value-added signings to fill out their roster, making a play for Serge Ibaka could be a better course of action for them to pursue.</p><p>His defense, rebounding, and mid-range game would fit in nicely while Milwaukee awaits the long-anticipated return of All-Star center Brook Lopez. Granted he doesn’t possess the size or athleticism of Lopez, but his savvy defensive presence and low-post scoring could pay major dividends for the Bucks as the season wears on and the competition starts to heat up in the stacked Eastern Conference.</p><p><b>Oklahoma City Thunder</b></p><p>This would be a welcome reunion for both parties and give Serge Ibaka a chance to finish out his career where it all started. Plus with the Oklahoma City Thunder previously showing interest in the veteran center, this is a pairing that makes a ton of sense. With his years of experience and success in the NBA, he’d be the perfect mentor to this young and dynamic Thunder squad that’s still trying to figure things out.</p><p>This move wouldn’t put them over the top by any means, and this youthful squad still needs time to grow and develop, but his addition to the team would be very meaningful to the Thunder. Even if it’s only for a few seasons, Serge Ibaka could be vital to the continued growth and development of an inexperienced team that’s not quite playoff ready. So as the Thunder keep working to nab a playoff spot, adding another seasoned player that has strong ties to their organization would be a wise move for them to make.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 best trade destinations for Clippers’ Serge Ibaka

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Fred-VanVleet-Serge-Ibaka-Raptors.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Nick Nurse, Fred VanVleet divulge incredible Serge Ibaka story</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-31T16:18:13-08:00">December 31st, 4:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-31T16:19:09-08:00">December 31st, 4:19pm</time><address><a>Joshua Howe</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Long live the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors.</p><p>As the Los Angeles Clippers roll into town on New Year’s Eve, Serge Ibaka will return for the first time <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-what-kawhi-leonard-texted-serge-ibaka-mid-vacation-to-recruit-him-from-raptors/">since departing in the summer of 2020</a> from the team he won a championship with. There is an anticipation, of course, that Ibaka (who became a fan favourite during his four seasons with the Raptors) will receive a warm welcome from both old colleagues and the Scotiabank Arena crowd (what little of it there’ll be, anyway).</p><p>“On the court, off the court, [Ibaka] really maximized his time here and became a real staple in this city. Obviously, we miss him and we love him, but I’ll probably put him in every ball screen I can [New Year’s Eve] just to test him out,” Fred VanVleet said, jokingly. “He’s looking a little old these days—I’ll make sure to tell him that when I see him. But he was a pleasure to play with and just a great teammate and friend and a big, big part of what we did here.”</p><p>Indeed, Ibaka and his large personality have left a profound impact upon the Raptors organization and Toronto at large. Whether it’s through media (who could ever forget his internet food show, <i>How Hungry Are You?</i>) or his prolific fashion statements, the big man always seems to find ways to tell stories—something he’s been known to conjure up in the locker room as well.</p><p>“When we went down 0-2 to Milwaukee and we came back to Toronto,” head coach Nick Nurse recalled, “I was getting ready to show clips and Serge [Ibaka] asked me if he could speak to the team before we started the film session and he got up there and said, ‘I’ve been in this situation before with OKC. We were down 0-2 to the Spurs, they had Kawhi [Leonard], and Danny [Green], and Tim [Duncan], and Manu [Ginobili], and all these guys and we won four-straight, and we’re gonna do the same here.’ And he was right.”</p><p>In hindsight,<a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/serge-ibaka-talks-ex-teammates-fashion-fans-ahead-return-toronto/"> Ibaka’s pep talk to the Raptors is now one of the many moments of the 2019 run encased in legendary status</a>. The everlasting mental fortitude of that team, both on the floor and off of it, radiates from every memory, every tale that surfaces as time wears on. But at the time, Ibaka’s anecdote was simply that: A distraction to try to cheer up his bummed teammates.</p><p>“It didn’t mean anything at the time because Serge [Ibaka] is always talking, he’s always got a story,” VanVleet said with a smile, “he’s always got some motivational speech and he doesn’t know how to finish his speeches, so he just rambles on for a while. So at the time it didn’t mean anything, and then once we won, we could look back and say, ‘Damn, Serge did tell us.’ We were down 0-2. You look back and say, ‘He was a genius the whole time’ and nobody was listening.</p><p>“It made it funny cause Kawhi was in the room and he was telling us about the time they came back to beat Kawhi and Danny, so it was a good lighthearted moment after we were feeling crappy being down 0-2. And we ended up climbing out of the hole.”</p><p>While he may be remembered best for his iconic style, playful character, and significant community work during his time with the Raptors, it’s also worth recalling just how relentlessly competitive Ibaka is and was, and the immeasurable value he provided to a franchise that only several years earlier had been a league-wide laughing stock.</p><p>No matter which version of the 32-year-old you’re talking about, there will always be a story. </p><p>“It was a hell of a moment,” Nurse said. “A hell of a leadership moment and a hell of a moment for our team.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Nick Nurse, Fred VanVleet divulge incredible Serge Ibaka story

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Serge-Ibaka-breaks-silence-on-benching-rumored-rift-with-Tyronn-Lue.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ Serge Ibaka breaks silence on benching, rumored rift with Tyronn Lue</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-23T06:27:23-08:00">December 23rd, 6:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-23T06:28:45-08:00">December 23rd, 6:28am</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite weeks of sitting on the sidelines as a healthy scratch, Los Angeles Clippers big man Serge Ibaka stayed ready in case his name was called upon. During Wednesday night’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/tyronn-lue" rel="noopener">Tyronn Lue</a> entrusted Ibaka with big second-unit minutes, and he did not disappoint.</p><p>Ibaka finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and a steal in 20 very effective minutes off the Clippers’ bench. Isaiah Hartenstein has missed two straight games due to a an ankle sprain, giving Serge Ibaka ample opportunity to get some run and regain any trust that may have been lost.</p><p>“I thought Serge was great,”Tyronn Lue said after the game. Making two 3s, I thought on the offensive glass, finishing at the rim, and defensively, challenging Tristan’s floaters at the basket, really gave Tristan a hard time down there. And the one he did deflect and block, Tristan made it. I thought Serge’s presence was big and huge off the bench and definitely anchored the defense on that second unit.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Eric Bledsoe sets up Serge Ibaka for the easy dunk 👏 <a href="https://t.co/8JhtCGyC95" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/8JhtCGyC95</a></p><p>— NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1473883175151570948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Ibaka played Tuesday night against the Kings and against the Thunder on Monday, but missed the five games prior due to a coach’s decision. It wasn’t just Ibaka who dealt with being in and out of the lineup, however.</p><p>Wednesday marked the Clippers’ 11th different starting lineup of the season and eighth different starting unit in the last 11 games. They’ve had multiple key rotation players miss significant time. Transition and adaptability have been at the forefront of Tyronn Lue’s messages to his Clippers.</p><p>Still, that hasn’t made it easier for the Clippers big man to deal with.</p><p>“I mean, I’m going to be honest with you, as a human being it can be frustrating,” <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1474002260183060485" rel="noopener">Serge Ibaka said</a> after arguably his best game of the year. “As a coach, he tries to do his best he can to keep the team together, to keep the team playing the best basketball you can. As a player, a hard worker, someone who loves basketball like me, I want to play too.</p><p>“At the same time, it can be really frustrating between that, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being professional. I have to be professional and I have to be there. At the end of the day I’m still blessed, man. If I’m not playing, even when I went to go play in the G League, my checks still come in. That’s blessed. So, like I said, it is what it is. No matter what the situation is, I want to keep working, I’m going keep being professional and stay ready. That’s all I can control.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I’m going to be honest with you. As a human being, it can be frustrating. As a coach, he tries to do his best he can to keep the team together, to keep the team playing the best basketball. I’m going to keep being a pro &amp; stay ready.”</p><p>Serge Ibaka on his relationship with Ty Lue <a href="https://t.co/PzHKTPPjL5" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/PzHKTPPjL5</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1474002260183060485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Clippers big man, now a 12-year NBA veteran, has leaned into the professionalism more of late, allowing himself to count his blessings.</p><p>“I mean, you know, like you said, it has been a very strange month for me. It helped me to be stronger. All I can do is to keep working and stay ready. That’s the only thing I can control. That’s the only thing in my power, in my hands, is to keep working and keep being professional and stay ready.</p><p>“Like I said, all I can control is to keep doing what I can control, keep working. It is what it is, man, you know?”</p><p>Ibaka and the Clippers will have three days off for the Christmas holiday before facing the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, the team’s third five-in-seven set of the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ Serge Ibaka breaks silence on benching, rumored rift with Tyronn Lue

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/clippers-news-serge-ibakas-future-with-team-appears-uncertain.jpg"></figure><h1>Serge Ibaka’s future with Clippers appears uncertain</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-14T07:09:37-08:00">December 14th, 7:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-14T12:55:27-08:00">December 14th, 12:55pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers got a much-needed boost when they got <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/serge-ibaka/" rel="noopener">Serge Ibaka</a> back from injury in mid-November. The big man fought through his rehab following back surgery, asked to go down to the G League to work his way back into game shape, and did everything necessary to return to the lineup.</p><p>The Clippers seem to have found some success over the last few games, but unfortunately for Ibaka, he hasn’t been a part of it. Well, at least not on the court.</p><p>Despite a stretch where Paul George and Nicolas Batum have both missed multiple games, the Clippers have run off four straight wins. A road win against Portland started a new winning streak, and that was followed by home wins over the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns.</p><p>Ibaka played just over seven minutes in the loss to the Blazers and has been a healthy scratch for three straight games. In Monday’s win over the Suns, Ibaka arrived to the Clippers’ bench late.</p><p>The Clippers started two bigs in Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac against the Los Angeles Lakers, but didn’t do so against equally big teams like the Boston Celtics (Robert Williams III, Al Horford) and Orlando Magic (Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba).</p><p>Ibaka’s role is in question, to no fault of his own. Zubac has started games and has been fantastic since last season. His backup, Isaiah Hartenstein, has developed a strong on-court rapport with Luke Kennard and Terance Mann as part of the second unit. Hartenstein was signed to simply provide frontcourt depth for as long as it took for Ibaka to work his way back. In short time, Hartenstein has made himself irreplaceable and life very difficult for Tyronn Lue.</p><p>“That’s what we kinda got accustomed to because Serge is out for a while,” Coach Tyronn Lue said Monday. “I think Zu, he’s been doing pretty good job, but Isaiah’s been really good. Especially with that second unit, not having guys who can create shots from that second unit, Isaiah pretty much becomes our point guard and so we kind of run our offense through him. He makes great passes, and just I think we need him with that second unit — so he’s been great.”</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener noreferrer">fuboTV (click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><p>Lue also says he has had a discussion with Ibaka about what his role will be like moving forward, but it was one he wouldn’t share.</p><p>“I’ll keep that between us, but we’ve had conversations and that’s about all I can go into.”</p><p>Ibaka is clearly unhappy, and if there were any doubts about it, his demeanor on the sidelines during the last few games proved it. Some fans even pointed to his reaction to Reggie Jackson’s game-winner over the Magic:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reggie Jackson for the lead! <a href="https://t.co/iLgdyGG2OM" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/iLgdyGG2OM</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1469800839434829831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s also certainly possible that Lue is playing coy and reserving Ibaka as a counter for bigger lineups. So far that hasn’t happened often.</p><p>Ibaka is currently in the second and final year of his two-year deal. He opted into the $9.74 million he was owed for the 2021-22 season this offseason in an attempt to stay with the same team. Now, it would appear his future with the team is uncertain. Could Ibaka actually be okay with playing second or third fiddle behind a few talented bigs, or will the Clippers center start to hint at potential trades to maximize his skill set and a return for him?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Serge Ibaka’s future with Clippers appears uncertain

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Serge-Ibaka-Paul-George-Clippers.jpeg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Clippers’ Serge Ibaka speaks on first game following back surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-11-08T06:26:41-08:00">November 8th, 6:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-11-08T06:27:27-08:00">November 8th, 6:27am</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LOS ANGELES – The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/clippers/" rel="noopener">LA Clippers</a> won their fourth game in a row on Sunday night, defeating the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/hornets/" rel="noopener">Charlotte Hornets</a>, 120-106. While Paul George and the guys were excited to walk out with the win, they were also excited to get a big piece of their rotation in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/serge-ibaka/" rel="noopener">Serge Ibaka</a> back.</p><p>Ibaka made his season debut after missing the last five months <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1403454036272025600" rel="noopener">due to back surgery</a>. He only played just eight minutes, accumulating one rebound, one assist, one block, and five personal fouls.</p><p>Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue played Serge Ibaka in three different bursts throughout the night, allowing him to build up without overexerting himself. After the game, Ibaka said he felt great.</p><p>“I’m good conditioning-wise, health-wise thank god,” Ibaka said. “I’m grateful to be back. First game in a while, but the most important thing is I’m healthy. I’m good.”</p><p>While he was ecstatic to be back, he was also honest.</p><p>“It was rough, but it’s normal. It’s normal. It was rough, but I just want to thank coach for putting me back in again, so now I’m gonna go in the gym now to lift, to get ready for the next game, so move on and get focus on the next game.”</p><p>Ibaka’s return means more decision-making for Tyronn Lue with regards to Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein. Zubac appears to have turned a corner, recording back-to-back double-doubles as the Clippers came back from double-digit deficits to win. The Clippers’ starting big man finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocked shots.</p><p>Hartenstein has looked good for LA all year, especially when the Clippers needed production from their center position. He finished with nine points, three rebounds, and a steal, playing his usual effective role alongside Terance Mann and Luke Kennard.</p><p>Still, Ibaka brings the skill and intangibles to a team that has desperately been in need of them.</p><p>“He’s one of the better shot blockers and rim protectors in the league so it’s just already adding to a great defense that we have right now,” Paul George said of Ibaka’s return/ “He’s a legit defensive anchor. He adds to that and he gives us a little versatility because he can switch and guard guards as well as he can stretch the floor. It’s just good to have another rim protector opposite of Zu and Isaiah that can stretch the floor for us.”</p><p>Now that Ibaka is back, the Clippers are going to be extra cautious as the regular season continues and the playoffs near.</p><p>“A guy like me who loves to play, I work so hard,” Ibaka said on facing a minute’s restriction for the foreseeable future. “Sometimes it can be hard, but right now I have no choice. I need to patient. I have to. After a long time, I have to. Even like I have to tell myself to be patient because I already had been putting a lot of time, a lot of work all summer. Now I’m back, the most important thing is I’m back, so I’m just gonna be a little patient and I’m gonna get there.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I had to put a lot of work in, take my time. I think I could've come back a little earlier, but I didn't want to do it because of last year's situation. I took my time and made sure I'm ready. Most important thing is to finish the season &amp; play in the playoffs."</p><p>– Serge Ibaka <a href="https://t.co/WxKvbQTsTs" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/WxKvbQTsTs</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1457577659148365826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">November 8, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Paul George and the Clippers will face the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. It’ll be the third time both teams face-off, with the fourth matchup scheduled for the early parts of December. Serge Ibaka will look to continue his slow return from surgery as the year goes on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ Serge Ibaka speaks on first game following back surgery

Andrew Wiggins

Seth Curry

Lance Stephenson

Gordon Hayward

Serge Ibaka

JaVale McGee

Andre Drummond

Kemba Walker

Rudy Gay

Danny Green

2019 NBA Champ

3x All-Defensive

2018-19 NBA Champ

2x BLK Champ

Oklahoma City Thunder

Toronto Raptors

Orlando Magic

Los Angeles Clippers

Career

4 seasons

6 seasons

1 season

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1477135689997299716/

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1453442644823068673/

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1451595150480732160/

Feeling good is the new looking good. #idoArt  #avecclasse ⏳ 

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1450931787232804866/

The @NBA is back… So ART is back as well #IdoArt #AvecClasse 

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1449177283172847619/

🖌🎨🖼🎭 #avecclasse #TheHarderTheyFall 

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1448723768491200521/

About last night 🎨🖌🖼 #HarderTheyFall 

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1448429252718718981/

Very happy about this new @ouenzeentertainment project, this time with @Studio71US A new opportunity to inspire the young generations! 

https://twitter.com/sergeibaka/status/1444087458451230721/

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.4	4.1	1.2	0.7	0.2

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.4	4.1	1.2	0.7	0.2

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