Serge Ibaka Proving to Be Complementary Piece Once and for All

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks has never needed power forward Serge Ibaka like he does right now.

With reigning MVP Kevin Durant and superstar sidekick Russell Westbrook sidelined until December (at the earliest), Ibaka has suddenly become one of the club's best two scoring options alongside point guard Reggie Jackson—in theory, anyway.

Coming off of a season in which he averaged a career-high 15.1 points per contest, there was real hope Ibaka would ramp up his scoring—at least until the lineup returns to full strength. Even before Westbrook went down, Brooks viewed Ibaka as an important part of the solution to a season set to begin without a four-time scoring champ.

"He's ready to improve another step, and I think he's done that," Brooks told reporters in October, per Jacob Unruh for USA Today. "He's one of the best midrange shooters, and I thought last year he even showed that he's going to make corner threes. Even at the end of the year he hit a couple straight-ahead threes.

"I think as his game continues to evolve, he's going to be able to do that more. But I think he still has to get better at finishing around the rim. I think that's an area he wanted to improve on. We'll see as this season takes form."

Despite two outings in which he topped 20 points, Ibaka's scoring output hasn't been spectacular. He's averaging 15 points through his first 12 games and making just 45.2 percent of his field-goal attempts—a mark that would easily be his career's worst were it to remain unchanged.

The good news is Ibaka has thus far attempted a somewhat remarkable 4.8 three-pointers per contest, and he's actually made 36.8 percent of them. So there's no question he's still discovering new dimensions of his scoring ability.

There's also little doubt the 25-year-old is nothing short of indispensable when one accounts for his all-around value, particularly on the defensive end, where he's averaged 2.6 blocks per game for his career. Ibaka's absences from Game 1 and 2 of last season's Western Conference Finals left little doubt about that value. 

After OKC lost those first two contests to the San Antonio Spurs, Ibaka returned to Game 3 in spite of his calf injury. He proceeded to make six of his seven field-goal attempts, tallying 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks en route to a 106-97 victory. Ibaka wasn't enough to derail a Spurs team on a mission, but he certainly narrowed the gap.

Having eventually recovered from that leg ailment over the summer, the sixth-year veteran entered the 2014-15 campaign healthy and hopeful.

"I've been focusing on working my calf all summer, trying to make it get better," Ibaka told reporters in October, per Unruh. "Like always, I keep working my game. That's just something I'm going to do always. My main focus was getting better in my calf and to 100%. I'm ready to go."

But he couldn't have been ready for this.

Fortunately, the pressure isn't on Ibaka's shoulders alone. This Plan B has been—and will remain—a team effort.

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"We've always had expectations," Brooks told reporters this month, per Ken Berger of CBS Sports. "I've put the pressure on the players to play as hard as you can and play for your teammates. You do those two things, you live with the results. So the outside expectations change from year to year or from injury to injury, but it doesn't change from within."

Still, one might expect Ibaka to make the most of this rare opportunity. But given a chance to authoritatively establish his offensive pedigree, results have been mixed at best. While his 13.8 field-goal attempts per game would become a career high at this pace, an even more assertive approach may be in order.

He's taken 20 shots in only one game this season. By contrast, Jackson has attempted 20 or more field goals three times already, and that's despite playing in three fewer games on account of an early ankle injury.

Put simply, now would be a good time for Ibaka to be more aggressive. For some reason, that just doesn't seem to be in his DNA—a paradox given his sustained effort on the defensive end.

His three selections to the league's All-Defensive First Team bear witness to that effort.

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But having been groomed as a complementary piece on the offensive end throughout his first five seasons, a radical mindset shift may not be in the offing at this point.

Ibaka was built to convert the occasional putback and pop out for mid-range jumpers after setting screens. He'll take an open shot when it comes his way, but he's less likely to create his own scoring opportunities. Nor has he been one to regularly score with his back to the basket, more often preferring to face up from 17 feet.

The added range makes Ibaka a more diversified threat, but he remains an asset that looks significantly more comfortable as a member of the supporting cast. Whether that's a function of his skill set or disposition, OKC only has three wins to show for it.

It's not necessarily a knock on Ibaka, just an acknowledgement of what he is and isn't.

He needs to be surrounded by scorers and playmakers. He needs on-court leadership that allows him to pick his spots judiciously and fit seamlessly into the game plan. In short, he needs help.

If his individual production (or lack thereof) hasn't convinced you, consider OKC's collective performance. This team is only making 41.6 percent of its field-goal attempts, a mark that ranks 29th league-wide. Its 93.6 points per 100 possessions also ranks next-to-last, just ahead of the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers.

Failing to reach 90 points in each of its past three games (including a 65-point showing against the Houston Rockets), Oklahoma City is self-evidently short on credible scoring options.

As The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel recently put it, "The Thunder doesn't need its superstars back just to win. It needs its superstars back to make these games bearable."

And, perhaps, to make the most of Serge Ibaka.