At the halfway point of their season, the Los Angeles Clippers have exceeded preseason expectations. That is doubly true knowing that Kawhi Leonard missed each of their first 34 games and has only appeared in five thus far. At 24-17, the Clippers are in fifth-place in the Western Conference. While James Harden and Norman Powell have received the majority of the praise this season, center Ivica Zubac has been outstanding as well.
One of the top big men in the league, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, has certainly taken notice of Zubac. Davis provided nothing but glowing remarks on the 27-year-old after the two teams squared off on Sunday.
Anthony Davis Provides Glowing Remarks On Clippers Big Man
Anthony Davis Sees The Growth In Ivica Zubac’s Game
In the Lakers first ever visit to the Intuit Dome, they fell to the Clippers on Sunday by the score of 116-102. The game saw Zubac outperform the nine-time All-Star and was a major reason that the Clippers came out on top. The 31-year-old Davis finished with 16 points (on 5-14 shooting) and was a -18 in his 37 minutes. Meanwhile, the 7-foot Zubac dropped 21 points (9-16 from the field) while also adding 19 rebounds and three blocks. The Clippers were a +18 in his 35 minutes.
Speaking to Joey Linn of SI, Anthony Davis shared his thoughts on Ivica Zubac. Davis said,
“He’s worked on his post game. That jump hook. He’s always been a good screener. Good roller. Lob threat. Offensive rebounder. Good rim protector. He’s developed his post game, where they’re throwing it to him and he’s finishing with his right hook. He’s added that to his arsenal.”
Anthony Davis on Ivica Zubac:
“He’s worked on his post game. That jump hook. He’s always been a good screener. Good roller. Lob threat. Offensive rebounder. Good rim protector. He’s developed his post game, where they’re throwing it to him and he’s finishing with his right hook.… pic.twitter.com/pX2RYnlF1N
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 20, 2025
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Zubac actually started his career playing his first 2.5 seasons with the Lakers. He was never teammates with Davis though as Zubac was traded to the Clippers in February of 2019. Davis was acquired by the Lakers from the New Orleans Pelicans a few months after in July of 2019.
Now in his ninth season, it has been a career-year statistically for Zubac who has yet to miss a game. The Croatian is posting averages of 15.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks. The scoring, rebounding, and dishing averages are all career-bests. He is currently fourth in the league in rebounding and has recorded 26 double-doubles.
Current Contract Could Be A Bargain
In the offseason, Zubac agreed to a three-year, $58.65 million extension that will begin next season. Zubac is making around $11.74 million for the Clippers in 2024-25. The extension will keep him signed with Los Angeles until he is 31 years old. With NBA player contracts exploding in value, Zubac’s extension could prove to be a bargain.
In the meantime, the Clippers will look to continue their playoff push. While Zubac has proven to be durable (at least 68 appearances in each of his first five seasons with the Clippers), the hope is the oft-injured Leonard can stay on the court. The team is 4-1 in the five games that Leonard has played.
The Clippers will look for their fifth win in a row on Monday night at home against the Chicago Bulls.
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