Zubac Shines Bright, But Clippers’ Problems Run Deeper
If you watched the Clippers’ latest matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, you probably felt a mix of excitement and frustration — and Ivica Zubac embodied both sides of that emotional roller coaster. On a night when the team desperately needed a spark during a tough 5-12 start, Zubac delivered one of his most dominant performances in recent memory. Even with the Clippers falling 120-105 on the second night of a back-to-back, his effort was impossible to ignore.
Zubac finished with a massive 33 points on an efficient 15-of-22 shooting, grabbed 18 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. In almost every statistical category that mattered, he led the team. What stood out was not just the volume but the confidence behind every move — powerful dunks, soft touches around the rim, and steady awareness in traffic. It felt like a throwback to the Zubac from last season, the one who anchored the defense and punished opponents inside.
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But that’s exactly where the big question emerges: why has this version of Zubac appeared so rarely this season?
On paper, his averages of 16 points, nearly 12 rebounds, and over 61% shooting are strong for a traditional center. Yet they don’t tell the full story. His overall impact has been noticeably lower than last year’s, when he was reliably shutting down the paint and using his size to dictate matchups. Fans saw flashes of that in the Cavaliers game — the footwork, the composure, the ability to finish with either hand — but those flashes haven’t been consistent enough to lift the Clippers in a season full of struggles.
A big part of the issue is how predictable his offensive game has become. In a league where elite centers like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Victor Wembanyama comfortably knock down shots from mid-range and beyond, Zubac remains limited to work around the rim. Defenses know he isn’t a threat from 10 to 15 feet, allowing them to collapse on him during pick-and-roll actions and neutralize the Harden–Zubac combination that once worked so well.
With opponents now scheming specifically to cut off his lanes, his opportunities have naturally thinned. And at just 27 years old, the next step in his evolution feels clear: he must develop a reliable mid-range shot. Not to become a stretch big, but to force defenses to think twice before crowding the paint and doubling him possession after possession.
The Clippers are searching for answers in a season full of setbacks, and Zubac unlocking this next layer of his game could be one of the turning points they need. His performance against Cleveland was a reminder of the player he can be — now the challenge is sustaining that level long enough to help steer the team back on course.
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