Ibaka’s the centre of attention for Toronto

WASHINGTON Serge Ibaka was upset with himself after a disappointing playoffs last spring so he worked hard in the summer to get his game back in gear. So far so good, with a move to full-time work at centre agreeing with Ibaka, who has averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in three games.

“I think he’s had three good games,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “I said that even the first night. Even though he went 2-for10 from the field. He was effective, he was rebounding, he was rim protecting.”

Ibaka’s played all of his minutes in the middle this year after doing so just 13 per cent of the time in 2017-18 and 33 per cent of the time when he first arrived from Orlando.

Washington head coach Scott Brooks coached Ibaka in his early days in Oklahoma City and said he always looked good at centre, even if the presence of Kendrick Perkins usually pushed him over to power forward.

“There were times when we were really at our best offensively when he played the five. He’s a knockdown shooter,” Brooks said.

“Even when he was a young player, he was a premier, elite shot-blocker, but he could shoot the ball. He was a mid-range, 17- or 18-footer and we were like, ‘Come on, let’s step it out.’ He started taking threes, trailing threes and now he can knock shots down.”

It took Kawhi Leonard only two games to score at least 30 points. Only one player has done it quicker in Raptors history — Alvin Robertson in the team’s first game.

Other notables: Mike James needed six games to score 30; John Wallace, Jerryd Bayless and Rudy Gay 10 each; Kyle Lowry 13; Vince Carter 26; and Damon Stoudamire 66. Chris Bosh was well into Season 2 (134 games) before he scored 30, while Tracy McGrady, one of the best scorers in league history, never did it as a Raptor.