David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Believe it or not, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a star player on their roster that is not named Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook. That player is none other than defensive standout Serge Ibaka. It didn’t take the 24th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft very long to earn a reputation of being an elite shot blocker in the league. Ibaka, who played in Europe during the 2008-09 season, immediately helped a team that was in desperate need of an intimidating defender. Refer to the table below to see how poor the Thunder’s defense was before Ibaka officially joined the team in the 2009-10 NBA season, and how the gifted big man’s presence quickly led to a positive turnaround.