3 reasons why re-signing Serge Ibaka makes sense for Milwaukee Bucks

Reason #2 why re-signing Serge Ibaka makes sense for the Milwaukee Bucks: Gives the frontcourt a break

When Brook Lopez went down with an injury, the Bucks suddenly found themselves without a true center to play next to Giannis. Therefore, the Bucks were forced to run out one of Bobby Portis or Giannis Antetokounmpo at the five last season, both of whom played their highest percentage of minutes at center of their entire careers.

While they performed admirably, this should not be the norm going forward. Center is an incredibly strenuous position that causes a lot of wear and tear on the body. While Giannis at center is great for a postseason run, playing him there before the meaningful games start burdens him in a significant fashion. Similarly, the Bucks need Brook Lopez to be as fresh as possible going into the postseason, meaning that there will be many games where he plays only a few minutes or sits entirely in order to rest.

This is where Serge comes in. Serge can eat up those center minutes during the dog days of the season. Although it won’t look as good as Brook or Giannis doing it, their long term health is much more important than the drop off between them and Serge. The Bucks know all too well how seemingly pointless the regular season can be in today’s game and burdening their best players with difficult minutes during inconsequential games is a potential recipe for disaster. By re-signing Serge, you allow for a fresher Giannis and Brook come playoff time.