Room for improvement
Stars aside, there are two center archetypes currently having success in the NBA; shooters (think Brook Lopez) and athletic finishers (think Clint Capela). Both types provide spacing by either taking the big out of the paint, or collapsing the defense inward.
Ivica Zubac didn’t provide much spacing, vertical or otherwise, in 2018-19. He shot 36 jumpers last season and converted 12 of them. Of those 12 makes, only two were attempted from 16 feet or beyond.
Fret not, dear readers, for there is reason for optimism. Here’s a post from Zubac’s Instagram account showing the big man nailing nine treys in a row:
https://www.instagram.com/p/By_XNaynWNU/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
It’s easy to mock an annual summer trope (players shooting like Stephen Curry in empty gyms), but it’s encouraging nonetheless.
According to Zubac, speaking with the Athletic (subscription required), the issue has never been his ability to step out and hit 3-pointers, but rather his coaches willingness to let him do so:
Zubac has some limitations as a finisher, also.
Zubac is also not a guy who can go up over the top of defenders and snatch an alley-oop. Just six of Zubac’s 82 dunks on the season came off alley-oops.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a big guy who can fill the lane and the dunker’s spot, but it does make Zubac easier to defend.
Mobility and conditioning should also be an offseason focus. Part of the reason Zubac struggled to get minutes against the Warriors in the playoffs was fear the Dubs could just pull him out into space and carve him up possession after possession.
Now, the Warriors don’t present the same kind of death sentence for traditional bigs without Durant, but it’s still a strategy other teams would deploy to play Zubac off the floor (see: Rockets, Houston).
Zubac can be a little myopic making plays for others, but that’s a flaw in his game that can wait. Extending his range and working on his mobility are more pressing concerns.