As Ivica Zubac was just knocking on the door of his first All-Star nomination last season, his chances of making the cut in 2026 have steadily declined. He is just not taking as many shots as an All-Star center should, and this is partially dependent on James Harden and Tyronn Lue, who have both left the task unattended.
In fact, Zubac has only attempted at least 15 shots twice this season, despite playing every contest. One of them should be taken with a grain of salt, as the only reason it was an outlier for the Croatian Star was that their matchup with the Dallas Mavericks went to double overtime.
That said, Harden would be doing himself a favor by working with Lue to run a consistent stream of plays for Zubac, as he would not have to score all of the points, and it would help the big man make enough of a name to be considered for the All-Star team.
Every possession should begin with the two-man game between Harden and Zubac
James Harden has been doing everything right this season. He is more efficient, unlike the start of last season, and his dual-threat production is the only reason why three of the LA Clippers’ last four games were closely decided.
However, the best players in the world, with multiple MVPs, will tell you that greatness has no cap and that there is always room for improvement. For Harden, it is mastering the simplicity of his chemistry with Ivica Zubac.
Zubac, this season, is averaging 15.9 points and 11.3 rebounds. He is playing well, but his points would be more noticeable if he were consistently connecting with Harden, which he has not been.
The possessions where the timing is off and there is miscommunication need to be analyzed more than anything else they have done all year.
Additionally, in their efforts to use practice to unlock perfection, Tyronn Lue should be involved. The Clippers are 29th in pace, and to make a drastic change for the better, he needs to scheme up plays that Harden and Zubac can follow.
Yet, Zubac’s primary goal for himself this season was evidently an All-Star selection. He is not close, but he is not far either. The easiest way to claim it: remain the X-Factor, and work with Harden off the court to increase his shot attempts to more than 11.5 per game.