How good is Ivica Zubac?

[Mavrelous]

A vital role player in a championship team-- too bad these Clippers team has no real superstar or anyone of that level anymore.

The big but of course is when he gets "exposed" in the playoffs again. Much like a Gobert, he'll be attacked endlessly on the perimeter.

Last year Luka couldn't attack him like previous year, and Clippers started using him as post up threat much more, Lively and Gafford couldn't handle him.
I think Lue cracked the code of protecting him from being stuck on island like before.

[pepe1991]

Most bigs, including whole bunch of "star Cs" like Allen, Sabonis, Adebayo, Segun aren't equipped to guard him because boy is massive and overpowers them. Like, guy had 21 points, 22 rebounds vs Vicotor and Victor is one of few people that bothers him a lot.

His game vs Memphis was to me most telling one, vs Edey who is massive and Jaren Jackson who is now front runner for DPOY he had 20 points, 19 rebounds game, plus minus +17, Edey was 1-8 FG, Jackson 9-26 (8-19 for 2 FGA).

In other Memphis game, vs same duo, Jackson almost fouled out in 30 min ( 27 min, 5 fouls, -18 plus minus) where Edey was unplayable ( 20 min , plus minus - 24, 4 points, 5 rebounds) and Zubac had 12 points on 7 shots (5-7 FG) and 13 rebounds.

Heat game was hilarious to watch, Adebayo looked like little boy that can't touch ball around him. Zubac 12-16 FG, 14 rebounds ( 6 offensive rebounds), Adebayo 2-7 FG

[Tomhomes33]

If he’d stay Laker, now after Doncic trade LBJ would have at least 2 rings more..
That being said fully healthy Leonard can push these Clippers to fight for western finals

[Captain Ballmer]

Most bigs, including whole bunch of "star Cs" like Allen, Sabonis, Adebayo, Segun aren't equipped to guard him because boy is massive and overpowers them. Like, guy had 21 points, 22 rebounds vs Vicotor and Victor is one of few people that bothers him a lot.

His game vs Memphis was to me most telling one, vs Edey who is massive and Jaren Jackson who is now front runner for DPOY he had 20 points, 19 rebounds game, plus minus +17, Edey was 1-8 FG, Jackson 9-26 (8-19 for 2 FGA).

In other Memphis game, vs same duo, Jackson almost fouled out in 30 min ( 27 min, 5 fouls, -18 plus minus) where Edey was unplayable ( 20 min , plus minus - 24, 4 points, 5 rebounds) and Zubac had 12 points on 7 shots (5-7 FG) and 13 rebounds.

Heat game was hilarious to watch, Adebayo looked like little boy that can't touch ball around him. Zubac 12-16 FG, 14 rebounds ( 6 offensive rebounds), Adebayo 2-7 FG

Harden slows down the tempo, make sure Zu touches the ball. Rest of it is up to how motivated Zu. Remember couple year ago he put up 30 piece on Jokic and outplayed him.
https://www.nba.com/watch/video/ivica-zubac-32-points-highlights-vs-denver-nuggets

[Liam_Gallagher]

If he’d stay Laker, now after Doncic trade LBJ would have at least 2 rings more..
That being said fully healthy Leonard can push these Clippers to fight for western finals

Let's be real, if they didn't commit the stupid Muscala for Zubac trade, Zu likely gets included in the Washington trade in the summer (clearing cap space for a 3rd star), or any of the other 10 trades they made in the following 2-3 years.

[UcanUwill]

A vital role player in a championship team-- too bad these Clippers team has no real superstar or anyone of that level anymore.

The big but of course is when he gets "exposed" in the playoffs again. Much like a Gobert, he'll be attacked endlessly on the perimeter.

Last year Luka couldn't attack him like previous year, and Clippers started using him as post up threat much more, Lively and Gafford couldn't handle him.
I think Lue cracked the code of protecting him from being stuck on island like before.

Big part why guys like Gobert get attacked endlessly on perimeter, is not because they suck there, but because they are very good inside defenders, so opponents try everything to get them away from the paint. It is same thing with guy like Tavares in Euroealgue. Tavares truly suck as perimeter defender, but a lot of non NBA bigs do, the reason why they try to switch Tavares away from the pain as much as they do, is because if you do not do that, you have 7'4 NBA level elite rim protector to beat otherwise.

Gobert maybe gets ''exposed'' a bit, but you have to take into account that he is persona number one they adjust their offense against. he is focal point defensively no matter perspective.

[LakersSoul]

His plus-minus numbers are elite, he is one of the best rim protectors and rebounders in the league, and only Jokic has been featured more as a post up threat this season.

Many reckon that his resurgence is the product of Harden playmaking, but it looks like he is in much better shape compared with previous seasons, with less body fat and more lean muscle. How good is Zubac now, is he firmly in 2nd tier of centers?. Is he one of the cornerstones of Clippers rebuild, or should they trade him while his value is high?

Solid center, tier 2 ceiling tho.

Dont have outside shot, not athletic enough as lob threat, and not enough of a bag/moves as top tier offensive threat. But strong balance, defense and rebounder with a few decent O moves.

He’s got the best array of post up moves in the NBA probably. Unlikely guys such as Jokic or Embiid who will shoot a lot of spot up from outside, he lives inside. He’s got the NBA’s best hook shot by a lot. And can now go to the hook or bank shot with either hand consistently.

In the past that may be true, but this year he’s had 20/20 games against the supposed DPOY contenders. He’s not limited in his bag, just his touches sometimes.

Maybe have to watch more of his game but just a few post moves without any handles and real attacking the rim. V traditional center but has good defense and rebounder which is tier 2 ceiling.

[og15]

Solid center, tier 2 ceiling tho.

Dont have outside shot, not athletic enough as lob threat, and not enough of a bag/moves as top tier offensive threat. But strong balance, defense and rebounder with a few decent O moves.

He’s got the best array of post up moves in the NBA probably. Unlikely guys such as Jokic or Embiid who will shoot a lot of spot up from outside, he lives inside. He’s got the NBA’s best hook shot by a lot. And can now go to the hook or bank shot with either hand consistently.

In the past that may be true, but this year he’s had 20/20 games against the supposed DPOY contenders. He’s not limited in his bag, just his touches sometimes.

Maybe have to watch more of his game but just a few post moves without any handles and real attacking the rim. V traditional center but has good defense and rebounder which is tier 2 ceiling.

Well, Okc is exaggerating a little, he does not have the best array of post moves in the NBA.

Jokic takes 64% of his FGA inside 10 feet, about 12.4 FGA/G, his average distance is just 11.6 feet despite shooting three's.

Zubac takes almost all his attempts inside 10 feet, but he's not doing nearly as much creating inside as Jokic. His total FGA/G is less than Jokic's attempts inside 10 feet per game.

Zubac does have some skills, but I wouldn't go too far, he doesn't have the mid-post game like an Embiid, he doesn't have the same level of faceup skills from the post as Jokicz and Jokic of course has a lot of post moves.

[tsherkin]

He’s got the best array of post up moves in the NBA probably. Unlikely guys such as Jokic or Embiid who will shoot a lot of spot up from outside, he lives inside. He’s got the NBA’s best hook shot by a lot. And can now go to the hook or bank shot with either hand consistently.

In the past that may be true, but this year he’s had 20/20 games against the supposed DPOY contenders. He’s not limited in his bag, just his touches sometimes.

Maybe have to watch more of his game but just a few post moves without any handles and real attacking the rim. V traditional center but has good defense and rebounder which is tier 2 ceiling.

Well, Okc is exaggerating a little, he does not have the best array of post moves in the NBA.

Jokic takes 64% of his FGA inside 10 feet, about 12.4 FGA/G, his average distance is just 11.6 feet despite shooting three's.

Zubac takes almost all his attempts inside 10 feet, but he's not doing nearly as much creating inside as Jokic. His total FGA/G is less than Jokic's attempts inside 10 feet per game.

Zubac does have some skills, but I wouldn't go too far, he doesn't have the mid-post game like an Embiid, he doesn't have the same level of faceup skills from the post as Jokicz and Jokic of course has a lot of post moves.

Jokic is wild, man. He's just an insane collection of skills and ability.

[simplyorange]

[youtube][

Watch on YouTube

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[tsherkin]

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Watch on YouTube

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Cut into paint, R to L, L-hand finish
post-up bottom half circle spin L, L hand finish
jump hook/floater bottom half circle
dunker spot, pass/ORB, finish from under rim
run up middle in transition, dunk
L side low block seal, catch, spin back middle, R hook
L dunker spot, catch and slam
R wing PnR, catch, L hand layin
L side post far, spin baseline, L hand finish
catch R side just inside bottom of circle, turn, R hook
Seal, lob over from penetration, layin over 2
Hi-lo, turn, two-hand muscle in
ORB off Kawhi, 2-hand flush

Not a single bucket outside of the paint, and only one of them really started outside the paint, that L side post where he was like 14 feet from the basket as he started the move.

Murderously effective off-ball movement, powerful finishing inside. Soft touch. Hell of a left hand.

[sp6r=underrated]

Man, what a night for this thread. Zu with 26/17 on 13-18 while Mobley and Allen have combined for 23/11 on 10-18

I was blown away watching that game how good Zu looked. I don't follow the NBA closely enough to do rankings anymore but he is a lot better than an above average player.

[tsherkin]

I was blown away watching that game how good Zu looked. I don't follow the NBA closely enough to do rankings anymore but he is a lot better than an above average player.

I think he did an excellent job of illustrating how effective a big man can be without ever popping a perimeter shot. He screened well, he cut in a well-timed fashion. He had a single extended isolation, and mostly just caught and went, or caught, spun and went. He received a lot of passes after initial action from someone else.

That game should be educational film on how to score as a big man. Deep seals, good movement off screens, good off-ball cuts, offensive rebounding and quick moves on the odd post-up.

[jk31]

according to NBA 2k he is an all-star/borderline superstar level player that only has enough stamina for 20 minutes a game.

[70sFan]

I was blown away watching that game how good Zu looked. I don't follow the NBA closely enough to do rankings anymore but he is a lot better than an above average player.

I think he did an excellent job of illustrating how effective a big man can be without ever popping a perimeter shot. He screened well, he cut in a well-timed fashion. He had a single extended isolation, and mostly just caught and went, or caught, spun and went. He received a lot of passes after initial action from someone else.

That game should be educational film on how to score as a big man. Deep seals, good movement off screens, good off-ball cuts, offensive rebounding and quick moves on the odd post-up.

Great post! Zubac is very fundamentally sound from a bigman perspective and I wish more people could do the basic things so well.

[tsherkin]

Great post! Zubac is very fundamentally sound from a bigman perspective and I wish more people could do the basic things so well.

It's one of the more underrated elements of Shaquille O'neal's game, too. He knew precisely when and where to put himself, and then he established extremely deep post position and just leveraged his strength to finish. That's precisely what Zubac was doing through most of that game. Obviously, he isn't QUITE the same physical specimen as Shaq, but same concept.

Same same Adrian Dantley. He had a 17-footer and some face-up game, but by and large, he knew where to be and how to get into his defender's base to establish a strong, sticky seal deep in the paint. And good things happened when he caught it there.

That 28/20 game (with, incidentally, 8 offensive rebounds) is like the banner example of how to be effective alongside ball-handlers. It was a brilliant performance.

I may have to go back and track the whole game if I can find it, because that was FUN to watch.

[70sFan]

Great post! Zubac is very fundamentally sound from a bigman perspective and I wish more people could do the basic things so well.

It's one of the more underrated elements of Shaquille O'neal's game, too. He knew precisely when and where to put himself, and then he established extremely deep post position and just leveraged his strength to finish. That's precisely what Zubac was doing through most of that game. Obviously, he isn't QUITE the same physical specimen as Shaq, but same concept.

Same same Adrian Dantley. He had a 17-footer and some face-up game, but by and large, he knew where to be and how to get into his defender's base to establish a strong, sticky seal deep in the paint. And good things happened when he caught it there.

That 28/20 game (with, incidentally, 8 offensive rebounds) is like the banner example of how to be effective alongside ball-handlers. It was a brilliant performance.

I may have to go back and track the whole game if I can find it, because that was FUN to watch.

Yeah, there is a huge misconception among basketball fans about what made Shaq so great. It was all about him utilizing his immense physical tools in a very basic, fundamental way. Quick flash to the lane, securing deep position. Clearing out the board for putback, fighting really hard to outposition helpless defender, draw doubles in a simple way. Zubac does all of this on a smaller scale, because he doesn't have Shaq's athleticism and size, but it works extremely well.

Dantley mention is crucial here, because he showed that you can make a successful career out of these basic skills without monstrous physical advantages. Dantley was strong and coordinated of course, but he wasn't a freak in NBA setting.

Jokic is another player who does this all the time, that's what makes him so versatile inside the paint. Of course, Jokic also has GOAT level touch and immense passing instinct, so he goes way beyond that, but he has the base to work with.

[tsherkin]

Yeah, there is a huge misconception among basketball fans about what made Shaq so great.

I think it's people remembering huge, fat Shaq later in his career when he would get those backdowns, right?

It was all about him utilizing his immense physical tools in a very basic, fundamental way. Quick flash to the lane, securing deep position. Clearing out the board for putback, fighting really hard to outposition helpless defender, draw doubles in a simple way. Zubac does all of this on a smaller scale, because he doesn't have Shaq's athleticism and size, but it works extremely well.

It's fundamental stuff. And Zubac is strong. Not the same as Shaq, but plenty even still.

Dantley mention is crucial here, because he showed that you can make a successful career out of these basic skills without monstrous physical advantages. Dantley was strong and coordinated of course, but he wasn't a freak in NBA setting.

And he was 6'5. He routinely posted on guys who were quite a bit taller than him, and obviously he was hugely successful.

Jokic is another player who does this all the time, that's what makes him so versatile inside the paint. Of course, Jokic also has GOAT level touch and immense passing instinct, so he goes way beyond that, but he has the base to work with.

Jokic, of course, is a giant cheat code walking. xD He can do just about anything on offense. But yeah, he's what, 6'11 and 280?

[og15]

Zubac has played at an All-Star level this season, the All-Star designation is just a label that doesn't always represent the level of the player.

Good to see more people appreciating his game though.

[Jamaaliver]

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