NBA Rumors: Ibaka Shares How He Ended Up With Clippers, Will He Jive With George?

The Los Angeles Clippers may have lost the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Montrezl Harrell but got a suitable replacement in Serge Ibaka. The 31-year-old knows what it takes to win an NBA title, having done that alongside pal Kawhi Leonard with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

The fact that Ibaka and Leonard are familiar with each other is already a boost to the Clippers 2020-21 NBA campaign. However, the one-time NBA champion needs to mesh with other guys in the group. That includes Paul George who exposed something interesting when Doc Rivers was still calling the shots for the Clips.

"Doc was trying to play me as a Ray Allen or a JJ Redick, all pin-downs. I can do it, but that ain't my game. I need some flow, I need some mixes of some pick-and-roll, and post ups...That last season was hard," George said to Sports Illustrated.

Aside from that, there is that celebrated verbal tussle George had with Harrell. Though the Clippers tried to tone that down, it remained that something was off internally. Harrel said it was overblown but the fact that the Clips are falling apart shows otherwise.

Rivers got fired after the Clippers bungled a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets. He is now with the Philadelphia 76ers hoping to redeem himself from that embarrassing turnaround.

As for the Clippers, Tyronn Lue will be tasked to turn things around. Ibaka plugs a hole left by Harrell but fitting him in will be another matter. George did not have an impressive first-year with the Clips and finds himself adjusting anew with a new mentor calling the shots.

George has time to adjust. He is in his final year and is expected to come out with a better performance before hitting free agency. That includes trying to make things work with Ibaka and the rest of the crew for at least one more season.

Ibaka is a big addition, particularly upfront. He is expected to do the dirty work and leave the scoring sock to Leonard and George. And just how did Leonard recruit Ibaka to the Clippers? It is not as complicated as most would think.