5 Bold Predictions For Los Angeles Lakers’ 2016-17 Season

Zubac Starts Half The Season At Center

On one hand, there’s a lot of evidence leaning towards Ivica Zubac not being ready to contribute for the Lakers as a rookie. He’s only 19 years old, has a thin frame and is still extremely raw after being a second round pick back in June.

However, based on what we saw during NBA Summer League, he’s eager to impress.

Zubac turned a lot of heads this summer while averaging 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. With an NBA workout program hopefully working its magic on his frame, I’d expect the Croatia native to put up a real fight for playing time during training camp and the preseason.

In fact, I think he could push for some starts when the regular season rolls around. He may even make the Lakers’ decision to sign Timofey Mozgov to a massive contract look even worse than it already does. We’ve seen his early potential — imagine what he can become with some added range and strength down low?

Los Angeles knew it was getting a high-upside prospect in Zubac. However, it appears he could be paying dividends earlier than expected as just another piece to the Lakers’ promising young puzzle.

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