Weeks ago, LA Clippers fans were suddenly disappointed when the league announced the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year. They believed Ivica Zubac deserved the top-three honor, yet executives disagreed and chose Evan Mobley, Dyson Daniels, and Draymond Green to close the race.
The winning results were eventually released, and Mobley took home the first major trophy of his career. This was great news for Cleveland Cavaliers fans and upsetting for those supporting the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.
However, the player who finished sixth in voting was Zubac, LA’s defensive anchor. This was a curveball for fans, as the Clippers would not have had a top-three defense for 82 games without the Croatian star suiting up for 80 of them.
Furthermore, Zubac and the entire fanbase turned their attention to the announcement of the NBA’s All-Defensive teams. This was a second opportunity for the seven-foot beast to attain respect for his outstanding dominance.
Surely, the NBA and its executives would not rob Zubac for the second time in 30 days.
Ivica Zubac earns All-Defensive second-team honor but was robbed of the first-team selection he deserved
Today, the NBA released its All-Defensive lists, and Ivica Zubac was named to the second team, along with Toumani Camara, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jalen Williams.
These names are all-world defenders who played a major role in their team’s regular-season success. For Zubac, this was the first official honor that will be engraved in his resume, making the spotlight even more special.
Conversely, Zubac was still disrespected as he should have easily been on the first team. Sure, he had the most votes of anyone on second, but there is no doubt he is a tier-one defender in the NBA.
Moreover, Zubac concluded the 2024-25 regular season with several ridiculous defensive metrics. He was the league leader in total rebounds, had the highest defensive rating on the Clippers, was third in the NBA in defensive win-shares(among players who played at least 15 minutes per game and 65 games), and had an impressive block percentage of 40.4.
Additionally, Zubac’s eye test could have easily given him an argument to steal Evan Mobley’s award. Opponents intentionally sway away from the paint if Zubac is down low, as a block may not be posted every time, but a clean, heavy contest is.
The playoffs were also another example of why Zubac is a top-notch interior defender, given how well he performed in making life challenging for Nikola Jokic.