He is perhaps the least publicized of the Clippers' starters, and yet Ivica Zubac signs his best career season. Essential in the integration of James Harden through his mastery of screens and pick-and-roll, Zubac displays his best career averages in points and blocks. With his 9.7 rebounds and his 65% shooting, he is also very close to his best career marks.
This night, against the Suns, he compiled 19 points and 8 rebounds with a superb 8 out of 9 shots. The day before, Zubac had been the best Clipper against the Lakers with 22 points and 19 rebounds!
“I’ve never played with two playmakers like that in my career”
“I've always been confident, but right now it's even higher” explains the Croatian. “It's about finding ways to leave your mark on the game, and there are a lot of ways. I want to dominate in the paint, I want to grab all the rebounds, I want to finish strong near the rim… The rest is just superfluous, and it's pretty easy with playmakers like James and Russ. »
At 26 years old (only), the former Lakers pivot is therefore an opportunist, and like Clint Capela in Houston or Steven Adams at the Thunder before him, he benefits from the breaches and caviars of James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
“I have never played with two playmakers like that in my career and every time I find myself on the pitch with one of them, I enjoy it” Zubac continues. “They organize, they bring fun, they play fast… Wherever you are, they will find you, and I am very grateful to them. »
A strong point for Tyronn Lue
Listening to the Croatian, Harden and Westbrook appreciate rewarding their interiors for the work of the shadows. “They are always on the lookout and they play the old-fashioned way, they reward their big boys, they find them when they open up in the circle, they, they find them to go for the dunk… I love playing with guys like That. We work on the game as a pair during each shooaround, and it's more than fruitful for us. »
For Tyronn Lue, it has become difficult to even get Zubac off the field, and the Clippers coach is less and less tempted by a “small ball” five, as was the case before. Like last night against the Suns, who had nevertheless decided to play without a pivot after returning from the locker room. “We said to ourselves that it would be more complicated for them with him near the basket,” Lue said. “We could get him the ball, we could post him, get offensive rebounds, and I thought keeping him on the court would be more effective defensively. »
