The summer treated Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac well
From the moment Ivica Zubac took the stage for his first-ever LA Clippers Media Day, something about him looked different. It wasn’t the haircut, either.
The Athletic‘s Jovan Buha was the first to break the ice, stating that Zubac looked noticeably slimmer compared to the end of last season.
Zubac replied, letting the crowd know that he did shed a few pounds this summer. One of the ways he did it was changing his diet — which meant he had to give up soda and desserts.
Zubac’s sacrifice looks as though it’s paid off, though. This time last year, he checked in at 7 feet and 1 inch and 240 pounds. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s closer to 225 now.
The 22-year-old big also mentioned that he’s taken some time to work on his three-point shot during the offseason and that he feels ready to start taking more of them in games from this point forward. His hands have also fully healed since his Clippers debut, so he should figure to be a little more efficient around the rim as well.
Assuming Zubac can stay strong on the defensive end and throw in a few triples from time to time, the starting center position could be his to lose. JaMychal Green could challenge him for it, seeing as he finished the Clippers’ playoff run with three consecutive starts. But if his improvements are for real, he could end up being Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers version of Marc Gasol.
Landry Shamet was another player that looked a little different than he did in April. His arms were definitely a tad bulkier, which means whatever workout plan he was on this summer is paying off.
On top of that, Shamet made clear that he’s excited to prove that there’s much more to his game than shooting. In addition to some remarks made about handling the ball, Shamet also talked about his improvement on the defensive side of the floor, which Paul George vouched for.
Shamet already had the speed to stay in front of defenders, but now that he’s put on some more bulk and spent the summer with Patrick Beverley, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be an improved defender during the upcoming season. And while the starting lineups aren’t set just yet, defensive ability is something that could keep Shamet at the starting shooting guard position (or point guard, if they choose to go that route).
To be clear, Shamet doesn’t necessarily need to be anything more than an outside shooter. He was elite in his 25 regular season games with LA last season, connecting on 45.0 percent of his 6.0 three-point attempts per game. But him showing initiative is far from a bad thing, and it should be interesting to see how different his game looks once the Clippers start the season.
And speaking of defense…