LA Clippers: How Ivica Zubac fit in
By Paul Headley
Ivica Zubac was traded to the LA Clippers in February of last season. What kind of impact did Zubac have, and what can fans expect next season?
The FBI should’ve been alerted when the Los Angeles Lakers offered to trade Ivica Zubac to the LA Clippers for Mike Muscala and Michael Beasley. It was theft. Grand larceny. The Clippers should be ashamed for taking advantage of temporary insanity.
Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers could barely believe the team’s good fortune:
Rivers’ response to Lawrence Frank when he learned the Clippers could acquire Ivica Zubac: “Wake up, no way. That’s not gonna happen.”
— Clevis Murray (@ClevisMurray) February 10, 2019
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The two months preceding the trade were the best of Zupac’s* young career. He supplanted both JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler as the 5 of choice for the Lakers, averaging roughly 12/6/1/1 on 59.3 percent from the field between the Dec. 21 and Feb. 5.
Zubac also had one of the only decent net-ratings on the team (minus-0.1) during a stretch that would eventually submarine the team’s season in LeBron James‘ absence.
*It’s one of his nicknames on Basketball-reference, I swear.
Zubac fit like a glove with the Clippers, and with a newly inked $28 million contract, will be a part of the team’s core for the next few years. What did Zubac bring to the Clippers that was so sorely needed, and how can he improve next season?