Clipperholics
Fansided

LA Clippers: 3 Candidates for NBA’s Most Improved Player

By Michael Hanich

Nov 16, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General overall view of the LA Clippers logo at center court at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General overall view of the LA Clippers logo at center court at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Ivica Zubac LA Clippers (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Ivica Zubac LA Clippers (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

LA Clippers MIP Candidate: Ivica Zubac – Center

There were several things that former head coach Doc Rivers did well for the LA Clippers, but there were several factors that led to their early playoff departure in the NBA Bubble. One of the biggest attributes was the misutilization of some of the players. Among those players is starting center Ivica Zubac, who was entering his first full season with the Clippers.

This past season, Zubac averaged 8.3 points per game, 1.1 assists per game, 7.5 rebounds per game on 18.4 minutes per game. All of these are lower average statistics for Zubac compared to the last 26 regular-season games that Zubac played for the Clippers when he was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite being a starter, Rivers relied on the contributions of Montrezl Harrell at the center position as they attempted to defend the small-ball offense more. This left the Clippers to be dominated by bigger players such as Lakers power forward Anthony Davis and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. The lack of height advantage and defensive efficiency without Zubac on the court put the Clippers in terrible defensive situations.

With Ty Lue as the head coach, the Clippers will run a more traditional offense with Zubac at the center position. Lue made it clear that he could be running schemes with Serge Ibaka at the power forward position while Zubac stays in at center.

Zubac will be 24 years old in March of 2021 and already has starting experience. If given more opportunities to develop and gain more confidence, he could become a dominant and consistent center like DeAndre Jordan came to be. Zubac has the potential to average a double-double in points and rebounds as he will continue to go against the more experienced bigs in the NBA.

Home/Clippers News