Los Angeles Lakers: Ivica Zubac getting lost in crowded frontcourt
After impressing in extended minutes late last season, Ivica Zubac has only made two garbage time appearances this season. Will he work his way back in the rotation, or be forced to wait until the Los Angeles Lakers fall out of contention?
The Los Angeles Lakers overhauled their center position this offseason by bringing in Brook Lopez, Andrew Bogut and Thomas Bryant to join second-year big man Ivica Zubac. With the team trying to play at an accelerated pace, there’s only a limited amount of minutes for each center, if any at all, as Zubac is learning the early part of the 2017-18 season.
Ivica Zubac was one of the bright spots for the Lakers towards the end of the 2016-17 NBA season, averaging 10.6 points per game with a 59.1 field goal percentage, plus 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his 11 starts. He showed good touch around the basket with both hands, and could step out to 18 feet and knock down midrange jumpers. Zubac reads the game well and knows how to make himself available to teammates.
Zubac came into training camp in improved shape last season, which has made him more agile on the court. But the opportunities to show off his new physique have been hard to come by with Zubac only playing five minutes in just two appearances this season, both coming at the end of lopsided results.
Despite the Lakers raving about the shape Zubac got himself in, it’s tough to find playing time for him with the current makeup of the rotation. Head coach Luke Walton’s decision to use Julius Randle as a small-ball 5 off the bench has directly affected Zubac’s chances to make an impact. And with Randle’s current play, it’s tough to see Zubac getting minutes until the season progresses.
It doesn’t help that he’s behind Andrew Bogut in the pecking order as well, and the Lakers drafted Thomas Bryant from Indiana, who fits the modern game with 3-point range. Bryant has the benefit of splitting time between the Lakers and their G League affiliate South Bay Lakers, giving him game time to work on his game. Zubac did this last season, but hasn’t made an appearance with South Bay yet.
More from Los Angeles Lakers
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
- A surprise LeBron ranking should raise alarm bells for the Lakers
- Surprising Austin Reaves contract detail confirms Lakers got him for a steal
- Instant Grades for the Lakers’ unprecedented Anthony Davis extension
- Report: Lakers have big plans for recent top-10 pick amid roster shakeup
Another roadblock is the quick pace and style of the play the Lakers want to perform at this season. It’s tough to have big men on the court that don’t space the floor offensively or protect the rim at a high rate defensively. Zubac has some pick-and-pop ability and size to affect shots on the defensive end, but hasn’t translated it into rim protection and is a liability when switched on the perimeter.
It’s unfortunate that Ivica Zubac hasn’t been given more playing time after his play last season; there are simply better options at the moment for the Lakers. The injury to Larry Nance Jr. could have opened up minutes, but rookie Kyle Kuzma has been too impressive to keep off the floor, and fits the up-and-down style of the Lakers perfectly.
It’s important to remember Zubac is only 20 years old and should use this time on the bench and in practice watching learning how Brook Lopez and Andrew Bogut succeed in the NBA despite their speed deficiencies.
Zubac has a nose for the basket and scored his first points of the season against the Washington Wizards with a nice put-back after a missed shot. I’m not advocating for him to see an increase in minutes over the other frontcourt players with their current play, but there’s a case to be made for him to appear over Bogut, given the Lakers’ plans to build for the future and the age difference between the two.
Next: 2017-18 Week 4 NBA Power Rankings
Ivica Zubac’s case is another example of how quickly things can change in the NBA. He exited the season starting games and was in line for a solid amount of minutes with only Timofey Mozgov ahead of him on the roster. Six months later, Zubac is struggling for court time and has competition all over the place for minutes. All Zubac can do is continue expanding his game, and take advantage of the chances when they arise.