Serge Ibaka SELECTED BY: Seattle SuperSonics, Round 1(24)

SI Rank 6 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Ibaka is the definition of a raw prospect, but his athleticism will be more than enough to make GMs take notice. Ibaka can fly up and down the court like a guard despite his size. While that comes in handy on offense, it also allows him to be dangerous in transition defensively, where he can seemingly come out of nowhere to produce a turnover or block a shot. Ibaka has a huge wingspan and can be a major factor defensively in a half-court setting as well, not only one-on-one but in providing weakside defense. He has surprising range on his shot and can finish around the basket, but he doesn't really have any solid post-up moves, which isn't surprising considering he's only 18. His eventual position in the NBA - and he's likely at least three years away from contributing at that level - is at power forward, and in order to be able to play there, he needs to add weight. He's somewhat reminiscent of a young Shawn Kemp due to his raw athleticism, but it will be interesting to see what, if any, effect some added bulk has on his explosiveness. After some additional experience in Europe, an NBA team may consider bringing Ibaka over and letting him develop in the NBDL. Ibaka's raw ability means he's a first-round talent, but he likely won't be picked until the second round because he's such a project.