3. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
A knee injury shortened Serge Ibaka’s 2014-15 season, and that was yet another setback during a disastrous year for the Thunder. Kevin Durant missed most of the year, Russell Westbrook’s absence contributed to a 3-12 start and Ibaka’s surgery essentially eliminated OKC’s chance to make a playoff run. The Thunder ultimately lost a tiebreaker for the eighth seed to the New Orleans Pelicans.
But when Ibaka was healthy, he was stellar. The 6-foot-10 forward swatted 2.4 shots and, per Nylon Calculus, he notched the league’s second-best rim-protection clip, holding opponents to a 40.8 field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
Additionally, Ibaka added a weapon to his arsenal. Before last season, he had never launched more than 0.7 three-pointers per game. However, Ibaka averaged 3.2 attempts from downtown and drilled 37.6 percent of them. That improvement was a welcomed addition to his shot-blocking prowess, which makes Ibaka a unique three-and-D player.