LA Clippers: 3 Surprises From the First Eleven Games

LA Clippers Surprise #2: The Struggles of Ivica Zubac

This is a much less pleasant surprise for the LA Clippers than the first one. After being relegated to a bench role with the signing of Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac has not been able to acclimate well. Statistically Zu has become a negative defender, and neutral on offense, with an Offensive BPM of 0 and a Defensive BPM of -0.8.

It’s important to keep in mind that defensive statistics especially are dependent on the lineups that the player finds himself in. Zu has seen a lot of time trying to make the Reggie/Lou/Luke trio passable on defense, and that’s an impossible task.

But it’s hard to ignore his struggles, even aside from that. He’s a very traditional defensive big and doesn’t have much in the way of lateral speed. Teams have been putting him in the pick and roll and feasting almost every time.

The numbers don’t lie, and they spell disaster for the LA Clippers when Zu is leading the defense of the second unit. With Ivica Zubac off the floor, the Clippers allow 108.9 points per 100 possessions. When he takes the floor, the Clippers allow 123.6 points per 100 possessions.

Ouch.

The gap isn’t as big on the offensive end, but it’s still there. With Zu off, the Clips score 117.8 points per 100 possessions. When he takes the court, they score 114.9 points per 100 possessions.

I don’t think that Ivica is a lost cause. But he’s certainly getting put into positions that make it nearly impossible for him to succeed, and I thought that he would perform a bit better than he has so far.