5 Most Underrated Los Angeles Lakers Heading Into 2016-17

C – Ivica Zubac

I’m not a big fan of labeling rookies as under or overrated, but I believe Ivica Zubac fits the bill.

The Lakers’ 2016 second-round pick didn’t receive a lot of hype heading into the draft, mainly due to his age and raw skill set. However, between his 7-foot-1 frame and obvious potential, there’s a lot to like about the 19-year-old center.

Based on what we saw during Summer League, he may even pay dividends for the Lakers sooner than originally anticipated. In five appearances, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks for Los Angeles. While it must be taken with a grain of salt, it was certainly an eye-opening summer for the Bosnian big man.

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It’ll be interesting to see how he performs during training camp. Even with Timofey Mozgov and Tarik Black on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zubac carve out a role early during his time with the Lakers. I even “boldly” predicted last month that he’d steal some significant starts when all was said and done.

Zubac’s rookie season can go in a number of directions, but I see his stock rising at an exciting pace in 2016-17.

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