According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers have declined Ivica Zubac’s $7.5M team option for the 2022-23 season and instead signed him to a 3-year, $33 million extension that will run through the 2024-25 season.

By declining Zubac’s less lucrative team option for next year, the Clippers were able to offer him an immediate raise, which in turn allowed them to get a good deal on the overall contract. As the salary cap continues to rise, $11M/year is a very team-friendly number for a starting center who rarely misses games and has maintained good spirits through matchup-dependent role changes in the postseason. This extension makes Zubac ineligible to be included in any trades for the next 6 months, taking him off the table for moves in what could be an active couple of weeks for the NBA trade market.

Clippers, Zubac agree to 3-year, $33M extension
Lucas Hann

With the 2022 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors concluded, the league will officially shift to a place where the Clippers have already been for quite some time: the off-season. On the surface, the Clippers actually have very little work to do–10 of the 15 players who were on their NBA roster last season are under contract for next season, and retaining the four potential free agents who the team is interested in keeping (sorry, Rodney Hood) should be relatively straightforward. It helps, of course, that they signed Robert Covington to a 2-year, $24 million dollar extension earlier in the off-season to avoid him being a free agent as well.

That framework allows the Clippers to explore some upgrade possibilities this off-season, rather than simply trying to scrape together a roster for next season. Including a few guys who aren’t yet 100% secured for next year, the team has 12 proven rotation-caliber players. It’s a testament to the team’s depth that they were one of the deepest teams in the NBA last season while missing Kawhi Leonard for the entire 2021-22 campaign and Paul George for over half of it. Those injuries created a playing time void that was filled by guys like Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey, and newcomer Robert Covington, all of whom acquitted themselves well as significant rotation players. Then there’s deadline acquisition Norman Powell, who hardly played for LAC due to a broken foot but figures to be a major part of their plans going forward. All things considered, it seems essentially impossible to keep everyone happy with their role for a full, hopefully mostly healthy season, putting a little pressure on the Clippers to find some kind of consolidation trade that nets them one higher-value player (either due to starpower or age/upside/contract/skillset) in exchange for two or more of their current guys. And if (when?) they make such a trade, the ripple effects will be significant down the roster. That means that the number one item on the Clippers’ agenda right now has to be…

1) Searching For The Big One

The Clippers probably are a “third star” short of being the best version of themselves. I don’t think they need a better third-best player to win a title, but I certainly don’t think it would hurt. He doesn’t necessarily have to be a high-volume scorer, either–Golden State’s Steph Curry/Klay Thompson/Draymond Green combination and Boston’s Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown/Marcus Smart trio both contain a player not as known for his offensive prowess. But both Thompson and Smart (for my money, the #3 on each team) are head-and-shoulders ahead of anyone on the Clippers’ roster not named Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (the same is true for the third-best player on the 2021 champs, Jrue Holiday). You can say that the Clippers have a better star duo, and that will certainly have to be true for them to win the 2023 title, and you can say that they have superior depth as well. But depth just doesn’t matter as much on the biggest stage. In a pivotal NBA Finals game 5, Boston played a 7-man rotation while the Warriors went with 8. I love Amir Coffey, but Amir Coffey being a better 11th man than Nik Stauskas and Damion Lee wouldn’t impact a potential LAC-BOS or LAC-GSW series.

In the pursuit of a championship, the Clippers’ extreme depth is most certainly expendable in exchange for even marginal upgrades at the top of the rotation, getting just a bit better in the roles that play 40 minutes in must-win games. Rather than spending a ton of time zeroing in on potential targets, let’s take a look at where the current Clippers fall in the “building a trade package” calculus:

• Untouchable: Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. We aren’t going backwards here, folks.
• Untradeable: Nico Batum, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey, Jay Scrubb. Personal preferences aside, pending free agents can’t be traded, and outgoing sign-and-trades as part of a package to bring back a bigger name seem pretty unlikely (although with Amir an outgoing S&T could be possible).
• Tough Pills to Swallow: Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Robert Covington, and Ivica Zubac. Powell is the team’s third-best player and apparently doesn’t have a ton of trade value due to his 5-year contract (since the Clippers got him for next to nothing a few months ago). Jackson and Zubac are both important starters without replacements on the current roster. Mann is a homegrown prospect, fan favorite, and franchise legend. Covington had a stellar half-season with LAC and just signed an extension… at the exact dollar amount that allows him to be traded this off-season without a waiting period. All of these guys would hurt to lose, but if the right deal came along you’d say a tearful goodbye.
• Expendable: Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris. Both of these guys have given the Clippers good play, but when you look at LAC’s extreme depth they’re the most expendable players who you could see other teams really wanting. Between Powell, Mann, and Coffey, Kennard is expendable as a backup wing, and Morris is the logical odd man out in the PF conversation with Covington and Batum.
• Assets/Sweetener: 2027 1st round swap, 2028 1st round, 2029 1st round swap, 2022 pick #43, 2023-2026 LAC 2nds, 2028-2029 LAC 2nds, Brandon Boston Jr. In addition to the future picks, Boston would be a nice acquisition for a rebuilding team that can invest minutes in his development.
• Filler: Jason Preston, Rodney Hood S&T, Xavier Moon S&T, TPEs. Preston seems unlikely to be traded since the Clippers like him as a prospect but he hasn’t actually performed on the court to garner interest around the league. The Clippers could technically use non-bird rights to S&T Hood or Moon to slightly above-minimum deals to help with salary matching, but it’s unlikely that those slim margins would make or break a deal. Their TPEs can’t be added together or added to player salaries to make trade math work, but they could use them to absorb smaller undesirable contracts from a trade partner to add value to their offer.

I’m not going to get too into the range of options for the Clippers here because it’s so wide-open. Almost any player could fit in a lineup built around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and I could see anyone else moving to the bench if the right big name came in at their position. This gives LA’s front office the flexibility to go after the best player they can get on the trade market, almost regardless of position. One thing to keep in mind: targets essentially have to be players already under contract. Acquiring a signed-and-traded player places a hard cap on that team’s cap sheet for the year, and the Clippers are well over that threshold. It’s hard enough to see them cutting enough money to get under it, let alone getting far enough under it to then add a substantial new contract without passing it again.

2) Core Re-Signings

One of the downsides of having such a wide-open hunt for a talent upgrade on the trade market is not knowing what the ripple effects will be on the rest of the roster. However, after extending the contract of Robert Covington, I think that in pretty much any scenario the Clippers will also look to ensure that Nico Batum (player option) and Ivica Zubac (team option) are back on the team next year (unless they pick up Zubac’s option and/or extend his deal as part of the aforementioned big trade).

Batum is only due $3.3M on his player option for 2022-23 after taking a steep pay cut last summer to allow the Clippers to use their taxpayer mid-level exception elsewhere (Justise Winslow). It helps, of course, that he’s made over $160M so far and is still getting paid $9M by the Charlotte Hornets through next season, with that amount partially reduced if he gets a lucrative deal from a new team. It also probably helps that he struggled under the pressure and criticism of meeting the expectations of his massive contract and Charlotte, and that he would probably rather not be in a position to have his contract be a big expiring that the team might want to trade down the line. Either way, I’d expect him to decline his player option–with the Clippers having his early bird rights, they can now give him a contract starting at up to about $12M and running up to 4 years in length. I would guess that a compromise is in order: a multi-year deal in the 8-12M range that gives him financial security after the Charlotte checks stop coming. A reunion seems highly likely.

The Clippers have a team option for Ivica Zubac worth $7.5M next season, which gives them an abundance of options. They can always just pick up that option and worry about his next contract next summer, or they can negotiate an extension, or they can decline his option with a handshake deal for a larger, longer contract in place for when free agency opens. If he ends up being a part of a trade, they would have to pick up his option and flip it, with an extend-and-trade being unlikely due to financial constraints (he can only get a 5% raise, which he shouldn’t accept). Even if the Clippers acquire a big-name center via trade, declining Zubac’s option outright to let him walk in free agency seems unlikely. He would of course be a candidate to be a part of that trade, but if he wasn’t, it would be preferable to keep him as the backup and save the taxpayer mid-level (which is probably going to Isaiah Hartenstein) for another position.

3) Rotation Re-Signings

While I feel pretty sure that Batum will be back with the Clippers next season and Zubac will either be on the team or a part of a major trade package, the same can’t be said for LAC’s two rotation free agents who are a little lower on the priority list: Isaiah Hartenstein and Amir Coffey. Both had phenomenal seasons for the Clippers last year and there’s no reason to believe that a divorce is inevitable, but their departures are certainly possible.

Hartenstein was only with the Clippers for one year on a minimum-salary deal, severely limiting their options to retain him. The good news is that due to their robust depth, there should be no concern about using the taxpayer mid-level exception on a backup center (as long as backup C is still where the need lies, depending on how trades shift the depth chart). That deal would start at $6.4M and could last for up to 3 years with 5% raises for a total of just over $20M. To me, that seems like a perfectly reasonable deal. In fact, you could probably even keep Hart for a shade less and save a few bucks to give the 43rd overall pick a 3-year contract out of that taxpayer MLE. If Hartenstein does leave, whether it be for money, role, or another reason, that contract should be enough to give the Clippers a nice selection of alternative backup centers, a player pool that Robert Flom broke down recently.

Coffey is easier for the Clippers to retain, since he’s a restricted free agent with full bird rights, but perhaps harder to justify since he’s unlikely to be a top-10 rotation player for them next year and the luxury tax bill is mounting. It’s really going to depend what the market is for him around the league, and if teams are going to try to test Ballmer’s willingness to spend extra tax dollars on an 11th man. Sometimes, it works out where lower-caliber restricted free agents just get no interest around the league and re-sign on the cheap (see Montrezl Harrell a few years ago). Sometimes teams overpay to pry away a player they know a team doesn’t want to pay. For example, if the Clips can’t think their depth out via trade and Amir is going to be the 12th man next year, are they really going to match a 10M deal that will cost Ballmer another ~40M in luxury tax penalties? Lastly, sometimes teams try to get a guy while avoiding overpaying by negotiating a sign-and-trade and providing compensation to get around the right of first refusal. It would really be a bummer to lose Amir, but if the Clippers are stuck between letting him walk for nothing, paying $50M for an 11th man, and getting a couple 2nds via S&T, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them choose the latter.

4) The Fringes

Once that’s all settled, there honestly won’t be much to do. Current NBA roster rules state that you get 15 full-time NBA players plus 2 two-way contracts. If you operate under the baseline assumption that the Clippers don’t make a trade and re-sign/retain Batum, Zubac, Hartenstein, and Coffey, then whoever they select with the 43rd overall pick will take the 15th roster spot. They’re expected to keep Jay Scrubb around for a third two-way year, while Xavier Moon is a bigger question mark–one presumes that the now-healthy Jason Preston will get any and all spare PG minutes. The Clippers could look for someone at another position and/or younger than Moon, who is 27.

So, the “run it back” plan means the only changes to the Clippers’ roster this summer would be pick 43 replacing Rodney Hood and maybe a new undrafted free agent/g-league guy replacing Xavier Moon. Working backwards from that, you can figure the rest out: if they make a 2-for-1 trade and everything else goes according to plan, there will be one extra slot for a minimum salary guy; if they make a 2-for-1 trade and keep Batum/Zubac/Hartenstein but lose Coffey, there will be two, etc. But before zeroing in on targets for these depth spots, we need to know where in the depth chart they are after the dust settles from any trades.

The Clippers’ 2022 Off-Season Checklist
Lucas Hann

Next up for our 2021-2022 player season preview series is the newly minted longest-tenured Clipper on the roster, Ivica Zubac.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0″

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 24 (turns 25 on March 18)

Years in NBA: 5

Regular Season: 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals in 22.3 minutes per game across 72 games played with 65.4/25/78.9 shooting splits (69.3 TS%)

Playoffs: 6.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.1 steals in 17.7 minutes per game across 17 games played with 59.6/0/79.6 shooting splits (68.1 TS%)

Contract Status: Guaranteed $7.51M deal for 2021-2022 and a $7.51M team option for 2022-2023

Expectations

Heading into the new season, Zubac is the Clipper starter with the least amount of adjustments needed to be made with his role. Individually, Zubac mostly needs to just pick up right where he left off, as compared to the likes of Reggie Jackson, Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr., who will each have more of the offense ran through them moving forward.

While Zubac will pretty much be doing the same things as he did last year, that isn’t to say that there isn’t room for him to grow. With Kawhi Leonard out, the message has been made clear early on from the team that their level of play must step up due to the tighter margin of error they have to work with.

It’s year six for me now. It’s time to take the next step and bring it every night: talking on defense, helping guys on the floor, bring the energy and being aggressive, finishing every night. I think that’s the next step for me, for us as a team, just being consistent every night.”

Ivica Zubac on the next step in the evolution of his career

As such, the main question mark with the 24-year-old 7-footer is what exactly does that “next step” look like for him. Although both Zubac and Luke Kennard’s eyes lit up on media day at the prospect of the Croatian center taking threes with regularity this year, the Clippers’ coaching staff almost assuredly won’t be asking him to do that. A realistic step up for Zubac this year would revolve around him covering up more of the common slip-ups on defense that occur nightly, and upping the traditional big man stats that come with taking care of the dirty work. Both of which, however, remain highly dependent on a player’s environment and opportunity. Barring a seismic move that includes a certain non-shooting playmaker from Philadelphia, Zubac is locked into a starting spot, with two factors that could potentially dampen his playing time — (1) the emergence of Isaiah Hartenstein/Harry Giles III or Justise Winslow at the five and (2) small ball. With the latter, Marcus Morris Sr. mentioned that although he will be finishing some games this year as a small-ball center like he did in the playoffs, we won’t be seeing a lot of that early as the Clippers and Tyronn Lue look to hold onto “some cards” for later on.

Strengths

Ever since Zubac notoriously came to LAC for a bag of chips at the trade deadline back in February 2019, he’s been beloved from those within the organization and in the Staples Center rows alike for good reason — night in and night out, he’s been a star in his role. Transforming his body over the summers and earning the locker room’s respect on teams full of expectations and all-time defensive minds since the 213 duo arrived, Zubac has well cemented himself as a starting-caliber five in the NBA.

As demonstrated once again when he gained the starting role last season after Serge Ibaka went down, Zubac is a game-changing defensive presence in the regular season. From glass cleaner to rim protector, lob threat, short-roll facilitator and occasional Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky hook clone, there’s a reason why people who watch the Clippers can’t get enough of having Zubac on the floor. It’s also impossible to gloss over the iron man Zubac has been throughout his career. As they say in sports, the best ability is availability, and Zubac has yet to miss a regular season game due to injury as a Clipper.

Weaknesses

When Lue was elevated last year as the club’s new head coach, one of the main draws for his hiring was his proven track record of not being afraid to go to different lineups depending on the matchup, no matter who was on his team — a la Kevin Love. As mentioned by Zubac on media day, last year’s playoff run embedded that winning mindset in him as well as the whole Clipper locker room.

We all know the playoffs are about adjustments and about the matchups. Not every series is going to be yours. Sometimes you’re going to have a smaller role, sometimes you’re going to have a bigger role, but you always gotta respond. You always gotta be ready. I feel like our team did a great job of that.

Ivica Zubac on learning from last year’s playoff run

A lot of the weaknesses for Zubac remain things that most guys of his size can’t be expected to control on the court. Early on, it will be important to survey the fit of Zubac alongside Eric Bledsoe, who some already seem to be writing off as a poor fit due to the shooting concerns. Additionally, with Lue putting an emphasis on spacing, pushing the tempo and 2-on-2 pick-and-roll defense so far in training camp, it sounds like Zubac’s calling cards aren’t exactly what the Kawhi-less Clippers’ identity will be centered on in the biggest moments of games this year. Aside from this, some things Zubac can continue to clean up and be more consistent in nightly remain staying out of foul trouble, showcasing tremendous hands and shooting touch, and finishing strong through contact.

Summary

With Ibaka continuing to take his recovery day-by-day without a timetable, it’s a godsend for the Clippers that Ivica Zubac is reportedly feeling 100% back from that MCL sprain he suffered back in June. While he likely won’t be depended on to close the highest intensity of games, especially in the playoffs, Zubac unquestionably will be a major pillar that the Clippers will need to lean on in order to get to that point. With the marriage buff and new virtual face scan buff on his side, Zubac enters the 2021-22 season once again as one of the best value contracts in the NBA, and a fan favorite for the red and blue.

Clippers 2021-2022 Season Preview: Ivica Zubac
Ralston Dacanay

Lucas, Shap, and Rob answer your Twitter questions in this week’s TLTJTP. Fun topics include the ceiling of the 21-22 Clippers, what we expect from Luke/Zu/Terance, and what the DeAndre Jordan signing to the Lakers means for the Clippers prospects with Marc Gasol.

Checkout the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Twitter Questions Episode!
Shapan Debnath

Despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the shorthanded Clippers blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night–and then surprise the Miami Heat on Monday with Patrick Beverley and Nicolas Batum joining the inactive list as well. Dr. Shap, Lucas Hann, and Mike Jaglin discuss the pair of shocking wins, along with a guest appearance from Locked on Cavs host Chris Manning, who shared his thoughts on Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.

Check out the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Podcast: Shorthanded Clippers Surprise Heat, Cavs
Shapan Debnath

In recent weeks, the drop coverage has been a focal point of Clippers discourse, so I figured I’d take a crack at explaining it. Should they use it? Why are they using it? Will they stop using it? I’ve stated my stance via Twitter. But after learning more about it, I understand its value and why it’s so often used.

For those who don’t know, the drop coverage is a defensive scheme that is essentially designed to keep the ball-handler’s scoring options limited to either a low-efficiency mid-range jumper or a contested shot at the rim. As the defender who is guarding the screener drops below the point of the screen to play safety in the paint, the other defender, who is guarding the ball, fights over the top of the screen and forces the ball-handler into no man’s land.

A key component of being able to run this defense effectively is knowing that the opponent’s big man isn’t going to space the floor and shoot jumpers. If that screener can shoot from the perimeter, it breaks the coverage as he’ll pop for open jumpers or swing the ball to another open shooter as the defense scrambles. For the better part of the last two weeks, the Clippers’ opponents haven’t featured that pick-and-pop big that’ll expose the coverage. Instead, they’ve dealt with guys like Andre Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, Mitchell Robinson, and Bam Adebayo, who specialize in rolling to the rim and finishing over the top of the outstretched arms of shot-blockers.

This is where Serge Ibaka’s and Ivica Zubac’s domination of the team’s 48 center minutes play a role in this scheme. Having one of those two on the court means the Clippers have two 7-foot big men who are incapable of effectively switching, double-teaming, or hard showing at the level of the screen due to their lack of foot-speed. To avoid those issues, the Clippers are opting to play more drop on pick-and-roll coverages, having Zu and Ibaka patrol the paint and be the high-level rim protectors they have established themselves to be. 

The Clippers are currently giving up the highest opponent field goal percentage in the mid-range area at 47.1% this season. This passes the eye test as we’ve seen several guards score often against the Clippers’ pick-and-roll defense. In the Knicks game at the end of January, Immanuel Quickley went 7-8 in the mid-range area against the Clippers, putting the guard defenders on his hip while operating inside of the free-throw line to put up floaters. Kyrie Irving attacked the pick-and-roll for some easy pull-up jumpers and a few of his signature crafty finishes. But surrendering a high number of in-between shots is a better process than seeing their opponent have that similar volume from the three-point line. While it can be hard to watch, you have to understand its potential.

Yet, it was still incredibly frustrating to watch Collin Sexton and Darius Garland take turns abusing the drop coverage for floaters and free-throw line jumpers. But as the game wore on and the Clippers’ offense figured out how to score more effectively, the game broke wide open behind a barrage of Paul George’s three-pointers. The floaters that once felt like power-punches had begun to feel more like soft jabs. The coverage proved effective as the Cavs neglected the three-pointer completely, only attempting ten three-pointers in total and finishing the game with just 99 points. So, yes, the Clippers got bullied in the midrange, but they won the game by 21 points by making 16 more threes than Cleveland did. And when everything averaged out over the course of a full game, Sexton was just 5-14 from mid-range. It’s becoming increasingly harder to win NBA games with the bulk of your offensive production coming from inside the arc. 

Defending Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in a drop coverage was a much different experience than Cleveland’s guard combo. While “Sexland” didn’t generate any three-point attempts out of the pick-and-roll, Tatum converted on three of his four attempts. Four attempts isn’t an insane number due to Tatum’s ability to use his size to finish at the rim or make other decisions, but the shot is there for the taking. There is, however, a risk you take in using this defense down the stretch of games when stops are important. It was Kemba Walker’s go-ahead mid-range jumper off of the pick-and-roll that put the nail in the Clippers’ coffin. 

Drop coverage isn’t going to be used against the elite, high-volume three-point shooters like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. The Clippers have already shown that won’t be the case this season. As for the others, Ty Lue seems willing to bet on the drop, concede two-point shots, and make opponents have to beat them with their decision-making all while trusting that the Clippers’ high-powered offense will continue to efficiently outexecute their opponents.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Explaining the Clippers Drop Coverage
Cole Huff

Dr. Shap, Robert Flom, and Lucas Hann break down the Clippers’ tight loss as they slip to the Atlanta Hawks and discuss expectations as the team navigates this six-game road trip without three of their starters. Then, the trio give their takes on early trade rumors involving the team.

Check out the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Podcast: Clippers Slip to Hawks
Shapan Debnath

Dr. Shap and Lucas Hann are joined by The Kings Herald and 213Hoops writer Sanjesh Singh to discuss the recent matchups between the Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers, as well as how the overall Western Conference playoff picture is shaping up on a night where the Clippers reclaimed first place after rolling the Kings once again.

Check out the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Podcast: Clippers Roll Kings Again with Sanjesh Singh
Shapan Debnath

With just a week until the season begins, let’s take a look at the season preview for the Clippers’ youngest rotation contributor, Ivica Zubac.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0″
Weight: 240 lbs.
Position: Center
Age: 23
Years in NBA: 4
Key Stats: In 72 appearances for the Clippers last season, played 18.4 minutes per game and averaged 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks. In the playoffs, played 24.6 minutes per game and averaged 9.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks. In the Clippers’ second-round loss to Denver, they won Zubac’s minutes by 32 points and lost the minutes he sat by 35.
Contract Status: Signed a 4-year contract with the Clippers summer 2019, paying him $7,000,000 this year and and $7.5M each of the next two seasons, with a team option for the final year.

Expectations

The Clippers need to rely on Zubac more this season than they have in the past, given his near-elite numbers as a rebounder and rim protector. It was a disgrace that he only played 18 minutes a night last season on a team that lacked a single other big man who was adequate at either rebounding or defending, and that mistake was horribly exposed in the playoffs when the Clippers struggled to do anything positive defensively when Zubac sat. This year, the Clippers have a much more legitimate alternative in newcomer Serge Ibaka, who isn’t as good as Zubac in either category but brings a slight upgrade in mobility and a major one in offensive skillset.

Heading into the regular season, Ty Lue has said that Ibaka will take over the starting center position this season, moving Zubac to the second unit to play in a lineup with Terance Mann, Lou Williams, Luke Kennard, and Nicolas Batum. Given the personnel in question, the thought process makes sense–that quartet features a significantly worse collection of perimeter defenders and guard and forward rebounders than the Clippers’ starters, making Zu’s skillset needed on the bench unit. Whether Zu starts or not isn’t necessarily a priority, but he will need to play more than his 18 minutes per game last season. A roughly 50/50 minutes split with Ibaka is the ideal outcome, regardless of who starts.

While Zubac is quite good, the Clippers’ lack of alternatives last season may have caused him to become a little bit overrated in Clippers’ fan circles by nature of the team’s over-dependence on him and absolute collapse when a different center was in the game. Ibaka’s role might unsettle some who are used to loudly clamoring for Zubac to play 30+ minutes a night, but this season’s roster gives Ty Lue the advantage of not needing to funnel minutes to a center who doesn’t bring floor-spacing offensively. If the Clippers find themselves needing to match up with Nikola Jokic for 40 minutes a night in a playoff series again, Zu will be immensely useful in big minutes. But at other times, the Clippers can deploy a center who spaces the floor around their stars while still holding down the fort defensively.

Strengths

Zubac does two things incredibly well: rebound, and defend in the lane. Last season, he grabbed 21.3% of available rebounds while he was on the floor, including an astonishing and league-leading 15.9% of available offensive rebounds. That’s right, for all the focus on his defense, Ivica was the NBA’s best offensive rebounder last season.

The focus on his defense is warranted, though. Zu was one of the NBA’s top rim protectors last season and actually held Jokic, the league’s best offensive center, to lower numbers than Rudy Gobert did in the round prior. There’s a limit to the impact that can be made in that type of role–Jokic was still clearly the best player on the floor in that series, and put up a string of dominant performances–but take a look at Jokic’s numbers in the playoffs vs Gobert, vs Zu, vs non-Zu Clipper lineups, and vs the Lakers (adjusted to per-40 minute rates, since that’s about how much he was playing a night):

I think there are two takeaways from those numbers. The first is that Zubac did a damn good job on Jokic, doing best overall and in a number of individual metrics. The second is that Jokic is damn good, still putting up an efficient 23/13/7 per 40 in his minutes going against Zubac. Just because the other Clippers who drew the Jokic assignment were deer in the headlights doesn’t mean that Zu didn’t also lose the match-up–it just means that he was able to keep the margin of defeat small enough that LAC could make it up elsewhere.

Weaknesses

While Zu does just enough offensively to be a positive presence, he’s both a non-floor spacer and not much of an interior threat. He finishes with solid efficiently on low-volume attempts around the rim, mostly completing dunks off of dump-offs from drivers and scoring on putbacks–again, that league-best offensive rebounding rate really helps him boost his value on that end of the floor. Still, he isn’t at all an explosive pick-and-roll threat and his constant presence in the lane allows opposing anchors to stay home and help on drives where a shooter like Ibaka could pull them out.

Defensively, while Zu is stellar around the basket, he isn’t particularly quick and can get caught in bad situations when asked to defend perimeter ball screens. He’s actually smart and big enough to use good positioning to fend well for himself when caught in a switch, but it’s the initial action where he just isn’t the kind of defender who can hedge to contain a guard and recover to take away a mobile big’s roll to the rim.

One last note on Zu’s defense, which really is relevant: he’s quiet. Teams often rely on their center, who is typically the furthest-back defensive player who can see the whole floor, to be vocal leaders who communicate with the perimeter players in front of them.

Summary

Zubac is a really effective young big man on a really great team-friendly contract, so hopefully he stays with the Clippers for a long time. Good teams will always need players who are as consistently positive on defense and the glass as he is. Last season, he clearly should have played more throughout the year and in the playoffs. This year, while he should still see his minutes increase, the Clippers have wisely built a roster where Zu can be deployed as a good rotation player with a valuable skillset and not depended upon as the team’s only viable option at center.

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Clippers 2020-2021 Season Preview: Ivica Zubac
Lucas Hann

You’ve probably seen the meme where Spider-Man points at himself. If I could pick one picture to encapsulate where the Clippers currently stand, that’s my choice. Following a brutal game seven loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers are in a position where they can only blame themselves.

But, first and foremost, I want to acknowledge Michael Malone and the rest of the Denver Nuggets players and coaching staff. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit twice in the same postseason is a feat accomplished by no one in NBA history. All credit goes to Denver, but we have to remember that Denver can’t achieve this if L.A. had closed them out earlier in the series.

Game 5

After the Clippers defeated the Nuggets 96-85 in game four, both teams began the first quarter of game five pretty tight. In the second quarter, the Clippers started to pull away. Lou Williams made baskets inside the arc and Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green hit some key triples off the bench to provide the starters with critical help.

An and-1 from Marcus Morris Sr. saw the lead extend to 56-40, which would be the largest lead held by the Clippers. L.A. went into the second half with a twelve-point cushion, but the Nuggets made the necessary adjustments to make a run. Denver didn’t take over right away, but following crucial baskets from Paul Millsap, who arguably turned in his best game of the bubble, Denver set themselves up to make an all-or-nothing run in the fourth.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray needed to step up on the scoring end, and needless to say, they rose to the occasion. The one-two game between Jokic and Murray clicked at the right time, and Denver flipped the score to take a six-point lead with five minutes remaining. Kawhi Leonard hit some big threes and earned trips to the free-throw line to slow the game down, but the game fell in the hands of Michael Porter Jr., who drilled the biggest shot of the game. Denver outscored L.A. 38-25 in the final 12 minutes.

The Clippers sat on a 16-point lead but watched it slowly evaporate as Denver outplayed them on both ends of the game to force game six.

Game 6

This game gave the Clippers a second chance of closing the series out, and the Clippers started the first half strong yet again. A dominant 16-2 stretch to end the second quarter was exactly what the doctor ordered, but the Clippers were too stubborn to take the medication. Despite Paul George and Leonard taking over the end of the second and setting themselves up to finish Denver off, they allowed Denver to take advantage of their poor tactics on both ends of the court.

After scoring 34 points in the first quarter, the Clippers managed just 35 points in the entire second half. Sixteen of those came in the third quarter when Denver made their huge run to trail by just two to enter the fourth. George took responsibility for 10 of those points, but he didn’t receive any help and Denver hunted the Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams mismatches to burn the Clippers on defense.

A similar theme from game five appears in this one: if you fail to keep your foot on the pedal, you’ll be passed up. You can’t offer a team like Denver the chance to see light, otherwise, they’ll climb out of the dark hole and bury you instead. Once Denver regained momentum, they grasped it with both hands and rode it to victory.

George and Leonard couldn’t carry the load themselves, whereas Jokic and Murray, though doing their jobs efficiently, were supported by Monte Morris, Gary Harris, and others who stepped up because of the momentum switch. The Clippers ended up being the team who lost by double-digits and did the one thing they couldn’t afford to do: go to game seven.

The uncertainty of a game with colossal implications is one the Clippers couldn’t afford to participate in, yet their own mishaps led them tumbling into a game where momentum didn’t favor them.

Game 7

Just like the last two games, both teams kept the score tight, except Denver didn’t allow L.A. to go on a run to end the first half. The Clippers maintained the edge, but the storyline of blowing a significant lead wouldn’t materialize on post-game headlines.

However, the Clippers’ inability to score in the second half did. L.A. only managed 33 points in the second half of a win-or-go-home game. Whichever way you put it, that’s inexcusable. Fifteen of those came in the fourth quarter, where the Clippers showed zero fight; they were ready to go home. It was a relatively low-scoring quarter, but Murray and Jokic opened the floodgates just enough to drown their desiccated opponents.

Obviously, it didn’t do the Clippers any favors that their two stars shot a combined 10-38 from the floor. That’s 26% in a semifinal closeout game; there’s no justifying that type of performance. The two notably scored zero points in the fourth quarter. It’s also why L.A. couldn’t let game seven occur. You never know if the worst-case scenario for your team would happen in the biggest game of the season, but you don’t have to ponder those thoughts if you closed out responsibly.

And if Harrell is your leading scorer after 48 minutes, something went drastically wrong. Denver didn’t completely suffocate L.A. on defense either, because L.A. had open looks. But, you saw George clanking an open corner three off the side of the backboard, which made up one of his nine missed triples from the game. Again, you need to avoid game seven if you can prevent it.

Other Factors

In-game decisions made by Doc Rivers played a massive role in L.A’s downfall as well. Giving Harrell numerous minutes when Ivica Zubac and Green were much better players/matchups definitely cost L.A. points. Harrell’s inability to be a defender at any decent level saw Jokic and company torch Harrell. This stat certainly supports the eye test:

Montrezl Harrell and Nikola Jokic went head-to-head for 35 minutes over the final three games of this series. The Los Angeles Clippers were outscored by 47 points in those minutes.

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) September 16, 2020

Patrick Beverley fouling out early in game six played a large part, too, as L.A. lost his versatility on both ends and needed to play Williams more often. Beverley quietly turned in arguably the best performance from a Clipper in game seven, but it’s going to be swept under the rug now due to the loss.

Landry Shamet quietly disappeared and couldn’t help offensively either. Shamet’s best asset couldn’t be weaponized efficiently against Denver, as he shot 4-18 (22%) from deep in the series. He played limited minutes in game seven due to injury, but it’s hard to imagine him making a positive impact anyway.

Mike Malone, to put simply, out-coached his counterpart. When Harrell and Williams shared the floor, Denver attacked L.A. with pick-and-rolls, resulting in open looks. Because Lou Williams struggled often and Beverley dealt with foul trouble, Reggie Jackson saw minutes too, which certainly didn’t help the defense any. If Leonard and George couldn’t score, Rivers didn’t have a reliable third option, yet he kept insisting that Harrell and Williams would solve those issues. It might’ve worked in the regular season, but the bench duo was unsurprisingly exposed when it mattered most.

The Clippers are now 0-8 all-time when they’re about to clinch a conference finals berth, fittingly ranking them first in that category, per Elias Sports. Just like their blown 3-1 lead in 2015, the blame falls on the entire Los Angeles Clippers organization. With the expectations coming into the season, the lasting effects of this loss could be incalculable.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

The Los Angeles Clippers Can Only Blame Themselves
Sanjesh Singh