Our player preview series for the 2026 Clippers continues the longest tenured player on the team, starting center Ivica Zubac.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 28

Years in NBA: 9

Stats: 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.6 turnovers in 32.8 minutes per game across 80 games played (all starts) on 62.8/66.1 shooting splits (0 3PA, 3.0 FTA) for 64.1 True Shooting

Contract Status: In the first year of a three-year, $58.5M deal, making $18M this season

Expectations

Zu has raised expectations for himself after putting together a career-best season in 2025. Zu set career highs in nearly every statistical category last year, including games played, minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game, and advanced metrics like win shares and BPM. He was a dominant two-way presence, earning an All-Defense Second Team nod while receiving votes for All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year. While I don’t expect Zu’s counting stats will be quite as high this year, as the Clippers have more talent and are healthier going into the season, he is in his prime, so I do expect his overall impact to be at a similar level.

Strengths

Zu’s biggest strength is his defensive acumen. Always a plus on that end, Zu has continued to take steps in terms of his awareness, ability to stay out of foul trouble, and stoutness in defending opposing big men in the post. He’s a fantastic rim protector that consistently ranks among the NBA’s best in terms of opposing field goal percentage at the bucket. Not many players can shift Zu out of the way in one-on-one matchups, and he’s a very tough player to finish through. There are not many centers who have a larger impact on that end of the court.

A huge element of Zu’s defense is his rebounding. He’s a terrific rebounder on both ends of the court, with his ability to collect defensive rebounds being particularly important on closing possessions. Zu led the NBA in defensive, offensive, and total rebounds last season, and while that probably won’t happen again, it shows just how strong he is in that element of the game.

The area where Zu took his biggest strides last season was on the offensive end. Zu boosted his scoring from his previous career high of 11.7 points per game all the way up to 16.8 points per game – all while not sacrificing much in the way of efficiency. He and James Harden developed one of the most efficient and deadly pick and rolls in the NBA, with Zu’s monster screens and soft hands getting him several easy buckets per game. Zu’s offensive rebounding, long a strength, continued, providing more easy scores right around the rim. And, most importantly, Zu’s ability to get the ball in the post and score without assistance took a leap. In fact, Zu got so good in the post that teams started sending double teams – and Zu responded by improving his playmaking, posting by far a career high in assists per game while keeping his turnovers down.

Finally, it must be noted that Zu’s reliability is a massive strength. As a Clipper, he’s played in 72, 72, 76, 76, 68, and 80 games, with one of the 72-game seasons being every game because of the COVID-shortened campaign. Early in his Clippers days, the coaching staff worried about Zu losing energy and effectiveness if he played too much, and he firmly refuted that by logging major minutes last year. He’s always on the court, has plus stamina for a guy his size, and does not take stuff away. There’s not much to nitpick.

Weaknesses

It’s hard to say that Zu really has weaknesses at this point, more like limitations. He can’t shoot threes, or really any shots from outside of around eight feet from the rim, but that does not really matter for his position archetype. He can’t attack from the perimeter at all, but that’s not something the Clippers really need from him. He’s not a big man that can bring the ball up the court, but that’s an extremely rare skillset that’s hard to knock.

Really, the only thing you could point to as an actual weakness for Zu is that he’s not great at defending players out on the perimeter. A phenomenal defender in drop and help around the rim, Zu is not comfortable in switch-heavy defenses, as he’s prone to getting cooked by guards and swifter wings. The Clippers have designed their defense around Zu’s potent strengths, but his lack of switchability does make him a bit less “versatile” than other premier defensive big men like Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Victor Wembanyama.

Summary

Ivica Zubac is primed for a monster season. With a better backup behind him in Brook Lopez and more surrounding talent on offense, Zu can focus on the things he does best without having to carry the team on offense. Already one of the best centers in Clippers’ franchise history, another big year from Zu will put him into truly lofty conversations regarding his place in franchise lore. I have every confidence that Zu will have a season of that caliber, and he’s probably the Clipper I have the most faith in meeting his floor of expectations. Hopefully he makes it happen and helps the Clippers have another strong season.

Clippers 2026 Player Preview: Ivica Zubac
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2025 Clippers continues with starting center Ivica Zubac, on whom there’s not much to say, really, because it’s already all been said and is just about all positive.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 28

Years in NBA: 9

Key Regular Season Stats: 16.8 points, 2.7 assists, 12.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers in 32.8 minutes per game across 80 games played (all starts) on 62.8/66.1 (3.0 FTA attempts) shooting splits (64.1 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 17.4 points, 2.3 assists, 10.1 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers in 36.6 minutes per game across seven games played (all starts) on 65.9/53.8 shooting splits (3.7 FTA) shooting splits (65.3 True Shooting)

Expectations

After a very solid 2024, Ivica Zubac was locked in as the Clippers’ starting center, the same role he’s held for nearly a half decade now (remember when Serge Ibaka was the starter? Good times). Fresh off a major contract extension in the offseason, Zu was expected to be a sturdy and reliable starter, providing rebounding on both ends of the court, strong rim protection, and pick and roll play for James Harden. Some fans thought Zu could take a step forward with no Paul George and another year of chemistry with Harden, but most people expected a fairly similar campaign to the years prior.

Reality

Big Zu had himself a career year in every way possible. He set career highs in games played, minutes per game, points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and steals per game. Zu led the NBA in total rebounds, defensive rebounds, and offensive rebounds collected. He placed on the Second Team All Defense, and was just a hair outside of finishing on the First Team. Zu received Defensive Player of the Year votes and even an All NBA vote. It was a banner campaign for Zu.

The thing is, all of it was deserved. Zu played in 80 games, showing up just about each and every night to give the Clippers a points + rebounds double-double with exceptional defense. He was the lynchpin to the Clippers’ top-five defense, a monster inside protecting the rim and a smart help defender that consistently covered up for perimeter player mistakes. Zu was a force on the glass, punishing smaller opponents with offensive rebounds and getting the Clippers out in transition with defensive boards. The pick and roll chemistry with Harden reached new heights, and Zu carved out an increasingly large role as a go-to scorer in the post.

Zu’s excellent regular season carried into the postseason. He went head-to-head against one of the best players of all time in Nikola Jokic, and while the Clippers lost, Zu did his darndest to slow Jokic while scoring efficiently on the other end. He, like the entire team, slowed a bit as the series went along, but of all the Clippers’ key players he was the most consistent performer while handling the most difficult matchup. It was a strong capper to a great season for the longest-tenured Clipper.

Future with Clippers

Zu is under contract for three more years at just under $59M total, one of the best non-rookie, non-superstar contracts in the entire NBA. It’s almost impossible to imagine the Clippers moving Zu unless it’s for a true superstar or for a blue-chip young prospect, and neither of those options seems very likely in the near future. Ivica Zubac should be this team’s starting center and defensive bedrock for most of the rest of this decade, and that’s a good thing!

Clippers 2025 Exit Interviews: Ivica Zubac
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2025 Clippers continues with Ivica Zubac, their longest tenured player and starting center.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 27

Years in NBA: 8

Regular Season Stats: 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game across 68 games played (all starts) on 64.9/72.3 shooting splits with 67.1% TS

Playoff Stats: 16.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game across 6 games played (all starts) on 60/65 shooting splits with 61.5% TS

Contract Status: Making $11.7M this year, signed a 3 year $59M extension this past summer

Expectations

Ivica Zubac is going to be in the role he’s been in for most of his five-plus-year Clippers’ tenure – the team’s starting center. However, things are different this year. Paul George is gone. So is Russell Westbrook. Kawhi Leonard is injured and will be on a load management plan. The Clippers’ offseason additions were largely defense-first players. All of that means that while Zu will still be the Clippers’ starting center, he will almost certainly have a larger role on offense than he’s ever had previously, namely as someone the Clippers will use to actively get buckets. That’s a lot for Zu, as the Clippers are as small as ever, meaning he will still have huge responsibility on defense and on the glass. Thus, this season is primed to be the biggest year of Zu’s career, maybe by a lot.

Strengths

Zu’s best strengths are that he’s good at everything big men have needed to do since the sport of basketball was invented. He’s a solid defensive rebounder, an excellent finisher inside the paint, and one of the better rim protectors in the NBA. His ability to finish strong around the rim is a tremendous asset, and his little jump hook is incredibly reliable (he shot 71.1% at the rim and 59.9% from 3-10 feet last year). Add it all up, and you have a reliable big man who contributes on both ends without taking anything major away.

Zu is not quite as great an offensive rebounder as he was a few years ago, but he’s still one of the better second-chance players in the NBA. He has an offensive rebound rate of about 12.8%, an excellent number, and is able to crash the offensive glass while still consistently getting back in transition. For a team that does not send wings to the offensive glass much, Zu’s ability to be a force on that end single-handedly is a real boon.

There are other, more subtle pluses as well. Zu sets awesome, hard screens that really free up the Clippers’ ballhandlers. When he doesn’t play, that drop-off in screen setting is always notable. While not a great passer, Zu has gotten better over the years at making the extra play and finding open guys.

Weaknesses

Zu’s biggest weakness is that while he’s an effective offensive player, he’s also a limited one. Zu does not take threes (1/12 in his entire career), does not shoot from even the midrange, and is not an advanced passer. That’s all totally fine for non-star big men, of course, as few bigs can do all of those things well, but those limitations are why Zu is a solid starter instead of a star despite being very good at all traditional big man duties.

On defense, Zu is not awesome at defending out on the perimeter (though he is not as bad as a lot of bigs), meaning the Clippers’ defensive schemes can’t feature him switching too frequently. Again, not a huge deal, but something that the Clippers have to plan around.

Finally, even though Zu is highly likable and by all accounts a great teammate and locker room presence, he can get a bit down when the going gets tough. That’s not to say he ever gives up or stops trying, but he can get frustrated in those situations, and that sort of attitude has been challenging to watch at times.

Summary

The Clippers’ signing Zu to his max extension this summer was a strong vote of confidence in the veteran. While Zu is certainly not untradable, the Clippers have no replacement at all for Zu in the wings, so trading him is unlikely barring a complete teardown (which seems unlikely in and of itself). Thus, he’s one of the least likely players on the roster to get moved – a good, likable, player on a very fair deal who is a proven fit with the teams’ stars and is appreciated by everyone in the organization. It’s certainly not a lock that Zu finishes his extension with the Clippers, but he seems very likely to be on the Clippers for this entire upcoming season.

Clippers 2024-2025 Player Preview: Ivica Zubac
Robert Flom

Well, big Clippers news dropped today, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting the Clippers have signed starting center Ivica Zubac to a three-year, $58.6M contract extension. Zu is going into the last year of a three-year, $32M deal, meaning the Clippers now have him under contract for four years and $70M in total – through the 2028 season.

This was the largest extension the Clippers could sign Zu to under the CBA rules, a strong show of confidence in the big man from Croatia. Despite seemingly having been in the NBA for forever, Zu is just 27, meaning that he will now be under contract until he is 32 – the Clippers have secured his services for the rest of his playing prime.

This is a fantastic deal for both Zubac and the Clippers. For Zu, this is a significant raise, with his average salary going from under $11M per year to over $19M per year. This deal will pay him just more than his salary earnings of his first nine seasons (across three different deals) combined. It’s maybe not a massive bag for NBA standards, but this is a significant chunk of money for anyone, and a real security blanket for Zu as he enters his 30s.

This was a no-brainer extension for the Clippers. Zu is not a star, but he is a very good defensive player, a strong rebounder, a good finisher, and an excellent screen setter. Zu is also durable, which makes him even more valuable on a Clippers’ team that has too often missed key players at key moments. Zu has played in 72, 72, 76, 76, and 68 games in his five full seasons on the team, and has reached minutes totals in the high 20s the last two years. There just aren’t many more consistent or solid centers in the NBA than big Zu, who has frequently been underrated not just in broader NBA discussions but also by his own fanbase (remember when people thought Mason Plumlee should start over Zu? Good times).

There’s also some upside in this deal. I don’t think Zu himself will be a substantially better player this year – after 8 seasons and 11K minutes he probably is who he is – but he will have more opportunity this season. With Paul George and Russell Westbrook gone, the Clippers will need to give their shots somewhere, and the players the Clippers added in free agency are largely defensive-first guys. James Harden will take more shots, as might players like Terance Mann, but Zu is a very natural option to move up in the Clippers’ offensive pecking order. Zu averaged a career high 11.7 points per game last year while shooting 64.9% from the field, and there’s no reason he can’t get that up to 14-15 points per game considering the efficacy of his post game.

Just to cover the downside, it is possible that the last year or two of this deal could look “bad” if Zu slides as he enters his 30s. However, with the cap going up, even $20M won’t be that much money by 2028, so hopefully that balance counteracts any slippage. There’s some possibility for things going wrong, but its a very good deal and Zu is absolutely worthy of it.

Congratulations to Ivica Zubac and the Clippers for this extension. Zu is already the longest-tenured player on the team, and now has the chance to be one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history! Hopefully he stays healthy and helps keep the Clippers in the playoff picture for the rest of his time with the team.

Clippers Sign Ivica Zubac to Three Year Extension
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers continues with starting center Ivica Zubac.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 27

Years in NBA: 8

Key Regular Season Stats: 11.7 points, 1.4 assists, 9.2 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 turnovers in 26.4 minutes per game across 68 games played (all starts) on 64.9/72.3 (2.4 FTA attempts) shooting splits (67.1 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 16.2 points, 1.0 assists, 9.3 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 1.3 turnovers in 32.0 minutes per game across six games played (all starts) on 60/65 shooting splits (3.3 FTA) shooting splits (61.5 True Shooting)

Expectations

Ivica Zubac’s role on the 2024 Clippers was clear: be the starting center. That entailed expectations of solid rim protection and rebounding, scoring in the low double-digits on good efficiency, and reliability in terms of games played. With Zu entering his age-27 season, hopes of a true breakout were more muted, even though many fans though Zu could do more on offense than he’d shown in prior years. With almost no competition for minutes on the roster, Zu was expected to log a lot of playing time for a team that needed to have a strong regular season after a disappointing 2023.

Reality

Zu met his expectations across the board in 2024. A strong October, like so many Clippers, dissolved into an underwhelming November as the Clippers tried to integrate James Harden. As Harden’s primary pick and roll partner, Zu had the most work to do in terms of building chemistry and reps with Harden. Game by game, the duo slowly improved, figuring out timing on pick and rolls, placement of screens, and ideal pass spots for Zu to handle.

Zu took off in December, putting together a month averaging 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds on great 68.4% True Shooting. Zu’s performance on both ends was a big reason for the Clippers’ surge in the middle of that month. That strong performance continued into January, with 12.3 points and 10.3 rebounds on an insane 72% True Shooting. Unfortunately, Zu went down with an injury, and missed a month. It is not surprising that that month was when the Clippers’ hot streak began to slow, as their play suffered on both ends.

Zu returned in February, and played the rest of the season, but averaged only 25.5 minutes per game compared to his 28.2 in December-February, and his defense in particular was not at the same level. Still, Zu was solid enough, and the team consistently played better when he was on the court. Then, finally, the playoffs arrived, a time of year when Zu had not always shined.

Zu’s playoff performance was in stark contrast to the rest of the team, who mostly underperformed. Zu turned in the best postseason of his career by far, hitting at least 13 points in every single game. He punished the Mavs’ defenders inside, did his best on defense and on the glass, and helped keep the Clippers in the series as best he could. Even though he scored less than Paul George, Zu’s defense and consistency made him the Clippers’ second-best player in the playoffs, with at least an argument for first. It was a great end to a very solid season.

Future with Clippers

 Ivica Zubac has one year left on his three-year extension, and will bring in a career-high $11.7M next season. However, he’s set up for a payday due to his reliability, age, and production, and there have already been rumors about Zu moving towards an extension with the Clippers to keep him under contract further into the future. While Zu has hit his late-20s, he clearly has several more good seasons left – and the Clippers have zero internal options to replace him.

Thus, even though Zu might be the single highest value asset of any of the Clippers’ players in the trade market (Kawhi’s injury history makes him singularly hard to value), it seems very unlikely he’d get traded this summer unless it was for a blockbuster deal, and the Clippers’ cap situation makes that just about impossible. I would imagine Zu plays out next year with the Clips, and it’s very possible an extension gets done to keep him on the team for the remainder of his prime. I certainly wouldn’t say no to that.

2024 Clippers Exit Interview: Ivica Zubac
Robert Flom

The good vibes came to a careening halt early this evening with the news that the Clippers’ starting center and defensive anchor Ivica Zubac will miss at least four weeks of play with a right calf strain. To be more specific, he will be re-evaluated in four weeks, which means his absence will probably be a fair bit longer than that.

This is devastating news for the Clippers, as one could make the argument that Ivica Zubac’s skillset is the single most irreplaceable on the team. The Croatian big man was having a career year, averaging per-game highs in points and blocks with second-best marks in minutes, rebounds, and efficiency numbers. The rebounding and rim protection are items that the rest of the Clippers just can’t replicate.

The Clippers started Daniel Theis in Zu’s place against the Wolves on Sunday, but I’d expect that Mason Plumlee will be Zu’s replacement in the starting lineup (he will be tonight against the Thunder), as he brings a better facsimile of Zu’s size and rebounding than Theis. Plumlee and Theis are both solid rotation-level players, but neither is a starting-caliber player, and that hurts.

Another thing we will probably see more of is the Clippers going small, with Kawhi, Paul George, and James Harden joined by two of the Norm Powell, Russell Westbrook, Amir Coffey, and Terance Mann grouping. Those lineups can work, but I’m wary of them over a longer sample size.

This does also open the door for a trade for a better stopgap at starting center to keep the Clippers afloat in the interim. Clint Capela’s name has been present in trade talks, and while he’s nowhere near what he used to be, he’s still a big upgrade on Theis and Plumlee. He does have a $22M contract for next season, however, and that’s probably unpalatable for the Clippers as a backup. Another name is Kelly Olynyk on the Jazz, who would be a nice fit as a Zu replacement and complement, but who might cost too much for the asset-deprived Clippers to obtain.

For now, I’d expect the Clippers to stick with what they have, and then re-assess in a week or two depending on Zu’s progress and their play in the meanwhile. Hopefully Theis, Plumlee, and the rest of the Clippers are up to the challenge and Ivica Zubac is able to get long term health in that calf.

Ivica Zubac To Miss At Least Four Weeks with Calf Strain
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2024 Clippers continues with Ivica Zubac, the team’s reliable starting center.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0″

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 26

Years in NBA: 8

Key Stats: 10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 blocks on 63.4/69.7 splits across 76 games in 28.6 minutes per game

Contract status: Second year of three-year $32,800,000 million contract worth $10,933,333 million this season.

Expectations

The expectations for Ivica Zubac have become quite simple in Clipper Nation. That’s to provide the team with a reliable starting center who can score in the paint, rebound the basketball, and be a defensive anchor.

Another thing to be expected is for Zubac to play over 30 minutes per game like the other starters. Last season, he played around the same number of minutes as Marcus Morris — and that should change. Tyronn Lue, like the rest of the basketball world, has an affinity for playing small-ball. But Zubac has shown he can play against small-ball lineups and make the pay on the offensive end.

Strengths

Last season Zubac was in the early conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. While those talks ultimately cooled off, he still is one of the better defensive centers in the league. He’s a paint protector who can block shots. and his foot speed and mobility allow him to switch and guard wings on the perimeter and not get beat.

He’s a strong interior scorer as well. He has solid footwork and fundamental skill around the basket. These last two seasons were the first time he ever averaged double-figures in scoring, and it was on some of the best efficiency of his career.

His passing has become another strength of his. Over the past couple of years, he’s become very good in the short roll making decisions with the ball in his hands.

Weaknesses

The main weakness that Zubac has been his foul trouble. There are still times when Lue has to pull him early because he picks up early fouls. This past season he averaged a career-high 2.9 fouls per game. That also has a little to do with his minutes. Playing defense consistently without fouling is the next step for him, both for staying on the court longer and bolstering his defensive abilities.

Summary

Zubac is one of the more underrated and under-appreciated centers in the league. He’s pretty much everything you would want in a starting caliber center and he even shoots a decent percentage from the free-throw line. Look for Ivica Zubac to have another solid year as the 2024 Clippers’ man in the middle.

2023-24 Clippers Season Preview: Ivica Zubac
David Yapkowitz

Our exit interview series on the 2023 Clippers continues with starting center Ivica Zubac.

Basic Information

Height: 7’0

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 26

Years in NBA: 7

Key Regular Season Stats: 10.8 points, 1.0 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers in 28.6 minutes per game across 76 games played (all starts) on 63.4/69.7 (3.1 FTA attempts) shooting splits (66.1 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 9.2 points, 0.6 assists, 9.9 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 2.2 turnovers in 26.0 minutes per game across five games played (all starts) on 56.7/75.0 shooting splits (3.2 FTA) shooting splits (62.1 True Shooting)

Expectations

For the first time in Ivica Zubac’s Clippers tenure, he truly had no competition for minutes at center. The Clippers’ abundance of smaller players indicated their desire to play small on the second unit – and for key moments – but there were no challengers for true big man minutes. Therefore, it was expected that Big Zu would sop up more minutes than ever before, close out most games, and play a critical role as the defensive anchor for a theoretically defensive-minded team. In terms of production, scoring in the low double-digits with rebounding at around 10 per game were reasonable expectations of what Zu could provide with a higher minutes count.

Reality

Zu roared out of the gate, averaging 9.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in the Clippers’ seven October games while racking up 20 blocks. The Clippers were 3-4, but their defense ranked 5^th in the NBA in large part due to Zu’s insane rim protection and rebounding.

Zu’s strong start continued in November, as he averaged 11.1 points and 11.3 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game while scoring at very good efficiency (65.1 True Shooting). The Clippers went 10-6, and while their defense slipped to 9^th, it remained very good even as their offense improved. Zu’s blocks fell, as he sent back only 21 shots across 16 games, but overall it seemed like the Clippers might be getting their act together.

Then, like so many of the Clippers, Zu’s production fell off in December and never really recovered. His scoring jumped in March and April to 12.3 points and 14 points respectively, as Russell Westbrook was able to unlock more offense for the big man. However, the defense and rebounding was not close to where it was early in the season, and the Clippers’ defense as a whole continued to fall across the season. It was hard to say Zu played badly, per se, but he had a lot of games where 10 points, 8 rebounds, and meh defense was his contribution. Compared to Moses Brown and super-small ball Zu was invaluable, but it said more about the rest of the Clippers’ rotation than Zu himself.

The 2023 playoffs started off well too, with Ivica Zubac recording 11 points on 5-8 shooting and 15 rebounds while outplayed Suns’ center De’Andre Ayton in a Clippers’ win. Sadly it was all downhill from there, with Zu not recording double-digits in scoring or rebounding until Game 5 when he had 16 and 10. In all five games Zu was a negative in +/- (though the Clippers lost four of five, so it makes sense), and even in the Clippers’ win they won largely in the minutes Zu was off the floor. Zu also recorded 11 costly turnovers across the series, a high number for a guy who is mostly a play finisher and doesn’t have the ball in his hands much. A disappointing end to a somewhat disappointing season.

If you look at Ivica Zubac’s per 100 numbers for the 2023 season, you’ll notice they’re very similar to his previous Clippers’ seasons. His scoring and assists dipped, but his scoring efficiency, rebounding, and blocks were all right in line with his career averages. Therefore, it’s tough to defend the above statement about Zu’s season being disappointing with numbers. One notable stat is that he recorded 77 assists to 117 turnovers, a massively negative ratio, after his previous Clippers’ campaigns were all slightly positive in that regard. Still, Zu largely met expectations – it just felt like he slipped after a particularly good start, and that there were too many games he was kind of “just there”. At this point, this is who Zu is, and that’s a solid NBA starting center who is probably anywhere from the Clippers’ 3^rd to 5^th best player.

Future with Clippers

While Ivica Zubac is signed for two more years at a reasonable $10.9M and then $11.4M, his disappointing playoffs and the Clippers’ underwhelming 2023 season writ large has made him more likely to be traded than he has been since he arrived on the Clippers. That’s not to say I think he will be moved – the Clippers don’t have a backup center under contract, and even if they re-sign Mason Plumlee he’s not really a suitable starter on a contending team. However, I think it’s fair to say that Zu has more or less reached his ceiling as an NBA player as he heads towards his late-20s and having played close to 10K minutes across seven seasons. If Zu is traded, presumably it would be for another center, or at least a bigger power forward who can legitimately play center for extended minutes (John Collins?).

There’s also no question that Zu is one of the Clippers’ more valuable trade pieces considering his age, contract, production, and reliability. If the Clippers were to make a big swing on a star piece, it’s somewhat likely that Zu would be in the trade return going the other way. That could be for Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, Trae Young, or whoever your trade of choice is.

Ultimately, the Clippers’ lack of options at center, Zu’s proven fit next to the Clippers’ stars, and his being on a good contract in his prime are all more reasons for them to keep him than trade him. Thus, I’d expect the Clippers’ longest tenured player to continue on as a Clipper for at least the start of next season.

2023 Clippers Exit Interview: Ivica Zubac
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers snapped their two-game skid as they beat the Indiana Pacers, 114-100 behind a historical game from Ivica Zubac.

Summary

A lot of good things happened for the Clippers against the Indiana Pacers, but the biggest storyline of the game was Ivica Zubac. The Clippers man in the middle absolutely dominated the Pacers to the tune of 31 points and 29 rebounds to go along with three assists and three blocked shots. He also shot 14-17 from the field. Since the NBA began keeping track of blocks, Zubac became only the third player in history to put up those numbers. The last player to do so was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on February 3, 1978.

Zubac helped the Clippers get off to a good start and at the end of the first quarter he was already at 14 points and nine rebounds. He scored off teammates passes around the rim and he scored by grabbing offensive rebounds and getting second-chance points.

The Pacers managed to hang with the Clippers though, and neither team was able to grab an advantage. Basketball is often a game of runs and that certainly held true before halftime. It was a much better second quarter for the Clippers than the last two games though, and they led at the half, 59-57.

The third quarter was all Clippers as they continued to ride the momentum from Zubac who carried the offense. They couldn’t hit any shots, but neither could the Pacers who missed all of their 12 three-point attempts in the quarter. A six point Clipper lead (68-62) quickly became a 15 point lead and the Clippers never looked back after that point.

It was a quality win for the Clippers over a pretty solid Eastern Conference team. They were never able to get their looks from three to fall but they did enough collectively to pull off the win. In addition to Zubac’s 29 points, the Clippers had five other players reach double-figures in scoring. Norman Powell had 19 points, Terance Mann had 14, Marcus Morris added 13 and John Wall and Moses Brown had 10 each.

Notes

Amir Coffey continues to produce when called upon despite seeing uneven minutes. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out, he’s been placed in the starting lineup and he’s responded. His numbers may not be shooting off the stat page but he impacts the game in many ways. He gives the team another ball-handler and shot creator and a few of Zubac’s buckets came off Coffey passes.

Monster Ivica Zubac game powers Clippers over Pacers
David Yapkowitz

Our 2022-2023 player season preview series continues with the steady long-time starter at center, Ivica Zubac.

BASIC INFORMATION

Height: 7’0”

Weight: 240

Position: Center

Age: 25

Years in NBA: 6

Key Stats: 76 games, 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, on 62.6/0.0/72.7 shooting splits

Contract Status: Ivica Zubac is in the first year of a three-year, $33 million contract.

EXPECTATIONS

Despite being just 25 years old and only six years into his NBA career, it feels like Ivica Zubac has reached his ceiling. At least, he has for this championship-contending Clippers team — and that is perfectly okay. For three full seasons, Zu has been a pillar of health, an anchor in the middle to some very good defenses, and a low-maintenance, reliable starting center. One could make the case that Zu should be playing more than the 24.4 minutes per game (career high) that he played last season, or that he could benefit from showcasing a little bit more on offense outside of the paint. However, the reality is that those opportunities have been few and far between and probably aren’t ever going to present themselves on the Clips. 

A reasonable expectation for Ivica Zubac in the 2022-23 season is for him to basically be a clone of who he was a season ago. It’s hard to know exactly how much he’ll play given that there are a ton of guys who’ll need their share of minutes, but Zu is the only true center on the team. His number might be called upon more often than we think.

STRENGTHS

In the 10-or-so years that the Clippers have become contenders, health (particularly to their star players) has held them back. Fortunately for them, they haven’t had to worry about the center spot —. Deandre Jordan was an ironman in the Lob City era and Zu has been that in the 213 era. 

Whether or not you consider availability to be a skill is one thing, but there’s no debating that it can be viewed as a strength. For Zu, it surely is. He’s played in at least 70 regular-season games in each of the past three seasons, which has allowed him to accumulate enough reps to form an identity as a player. That identity includes creating extra possessions for the Clippers’ offense by being tireless on the offensive glass and being an impactful interior defender — two additional strengths of his.

He’ll continue, this season, to lean heavily into his strengths while having the lack of ego to not to step outside of his role.

WEAKNESSES

If there’s an area Zu could be better that could actually show up in games (not 3-point shooting), it’s probably his passing. To be fair, it’s not really a weakness. However, it’s been really easy to spot the differences between his passing and the vision and playmaking of recent backup centers like Isaiah Hartenstein, Demarcus Cousins, and even Joakim Noah for that brief time he was a Clipper. He won’t ever be the Marc Gasol kind of playmaker that many tried to speak into existence a couple of years back, but a few more strides in that area could be helpful.

And if we’re still nitpicking, Zu also did shoot his lowest percentage from the free-throw line in the 2021-22 season (72.7%) since his rookie year. It may or may not be a big deal to some, but hanging out in near 70 percent feels quite different than being near the 80s, where he’s been from time to time throughout his career. Zu doesn’t always close games anyways, so it’s not like the number will impact his ability to close games as it did for Deandre during the hack-a-DJ days, but it would be nice to have a little more confidence in Zu to knock down a pair when he steps to the line.

SUMMARY

Some want more from the starting center spot, which is understandable. And there are some perfectly fine with what Zu brings to the table — also understandable. However you feel about it, the fact of the matter is that T Lue loves himself some small ball, and Zu’s perfectly good 24 minutes per game allows the staff to get creative with how the Clippers choose to operate on a nightly basis. I think this will be another great year for arguably one of the more underappreciated starting centers in the NBA.

2022-2023 Clippers Season Preview: Ivica Zubac
Cole Huff