LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac has become a leading candidate for the distinction of the most underrated player in the NBA. An interior menace with a throwback game that even the most ardent of modern critics can appreciate, Zubac has quietly anchored a stellar Clippers season.
If LA manages to put the finishing touches on an excellent series and defeat the Denver Nuggets in Game 7, perhaps Zubac will finally get the respect he deserves.
Zubac is in the midst of what has unequivocally been the best season of his nine-year NBA career. He finished the regular season boasting averages of 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 offensive boards, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 62.8 percent from the field.
Zubac also appeared in 80 of the Clippers' 82 games, providing a rare sense of rotational stability and availability for head coach Tyronn Lue to depend on.
Beyond the individual numbers, Zubac has taken on tough matchups and routinely held his own. That's translated to the playoffs, where the 28-year-old has drawn the unenviable task of going up against an all-time great in Nikola Jokic.
If Zubac is able to turn in one more remarkable performance against Jokic and the Nuggets in Game 7, his reputation should improve dramatically.
Ivica Zubac remains underrated, but it's become impossible to ignore him
Zubac has been invaluable during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, effectively going second-for-second with Jokic. He's averaging 37.3 minutes per game, and has been as effective as anyone could've dreamed against the three-time MVP—on both ends of the floor.
From a pure production perspective, Zubac is averaging 18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.2 offensive boards, 2.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game.
That alone would offer reason for intrigue, as Zubac is providing evidence that he's ready for the moment with his postseason production. Bigger than the individual numbers, however, is a truly remarkable development.
Zubac has not only held his own against Jokic, but has situationally forced the best player in the world to look mortal.
Through six games, Zubac has forced Jokic to shoot 45.2 percent from the field and 43.9 percent on two-point field goals. By comparison, the future Hall of Famer is shooting 61.5 percent against every Clippers defender other than Zubac.
It's also worth noting that Jokic shot 57.6 percent from the field during the 2024-25 regular season—a number that Zubac hasn't allowed him to come close to during their matchups.
With a brilliant defensive display and improved production on offense, Zubac has done everything that stars are meant to do in the postseason. He's showing up up on both ends of the floor and holding a prime Jokic in check in a way that few have ever been able to.
Zubac was an arguable All-Star snub in 2024-25, but if he helps the Clippers close this series out, the respect he deserves will finally arrive.