Ivica Zubac, All-Star? That probably should have happened last year, to be fair, but the chance of it happening in the near future just increased after the NBA announced the new format for the recently maligned NBA All-Star Game will be a three-team, round robin format including one team of international players, with each team consisting of eight players. Could Zu crack that team in 2026, when the All-Star Game is held at Intuit Dome? It would be a pretty sweet culmination of a decade of work.
I don't need to tell you, dear reader, that Ivica Zubac is massively underrated among NBA circles. But I'm going to do it anyway, though. Ivica Zubac is massively underrated among NBA circles. He had been for years, and even after a breakout campaign last season (career-high 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, second-team All Defense) Zu doesn't get the love he deserves. But this rule — while it might not make the actual All-Star Game any better — does give Zu a better shot at making his first-ever ASG.
"The NBA says about 70% of players in the league are American, meaning it therefore will be easier for international players to make an All-Star roster in a U.S. vs. the world-style competition," writes Shams Charania at ESPN.
Ivica Zubac has stiff competition for international team at All-Star Game
While a team dedicated to international players does open up opportunities for guys who might not have made it in traditional seasons, that doesn't mean Zu has an easy road to being named an All-Star. Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama are likely locks for the 2026 ASG, assuming they stay healthy.
And there isn't a huge dropoff after that group, either; Karl-Anthony Towns, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Franz Wagner and Domantas Sabonis will all at least warrant consideration to be on the team. That's eleven guys including Zu competing for eight roster spots. Can he beat out three of them to earn the nod?
Pascal Siakam will be playing without Tyrese Haliburton, which hurt the team and make his individual successes not feel as impactful. Sengun will be playing with Kevin Durant, which could diminish his individual accomplishments, and Franz Wagner's production could dip too after the Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies.
So... yes? It doesn't sound too crazy when you frame it like that. Of course, this all hinges on Zu putting together another All-Star caliber season, and the addition of Brook Lopez might intrude on Zu's numbers a tad — but I would be shocked if Zu's minutes went down considerably after how good he was a season ago.
How long will this NBA All-Star Game format last?
Who knows? The NBA is trying everything it can think of with the ASG right now, in hopes that something sticks. Personally, I am shocked that the Damian Lillard vs. Fan shooting competition hosted by Mr. Beast at last year's event wasn't a smash hit.
Maybe Zu only has one chance to make the "international" All-Star game roster. With how the All-Star Game is moving, who knows if this event will even exist in five years. No time to waste, I guess!