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Clippers 2025 Exit Interviews: Ivica Zubac
Our exit interview series on the 2025 Clippers continues with starting center Ivica Zubac, on whom there’s not much to say, really, because it’s already all been said and is just about all positive.
Basic Information
Height: 7’0
Weight: 240 pounds
Position: Center
Age: 28
Years in NBA: 9
Key Regular Season Stats: 16.8 points, 2.7 assists, 12.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers in 32.8 minutes per game across 80 games played (all starts) on 62.8/66.1 (3.0 FTA attempts) shooting splits (64.1 True Shooting)
Postseason Stats: 17.4 points, 2.3 assists, 10.1 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers in 36.6 minutes per game across seven games played (all starts) on 65.9/53.8 shooting splits (3.7 FTA) shooting splits (65.3 True Shooting)
Expectations
After a very solid 2024, Ivica Zubac was locked in as the
Clippers’ starting center, the same role he’s held for nearly a half decade now
(remember when Serge Ibaka was the starter? Good times). Fresh off a major
contract extension in the offseason, Zu was expected to be a sturdy and
reliable starter, providing rebounding on both ends of the court, strong rim
protection, and pick and roll play for James Harden. Some fans thought Zu could
take a step forward with no Paul George and another year of chemistry with
Harden, but most people expected a fairly similar campaign to the years prior.
Reality
Big Zu had himself a career year in every way possible. He set career highs in games played, minutes per game, points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and steals per game. Zu led the NBA in total rebounds, defensive rebounds, and offensive rebounds collected. He placed on the Second Team All Defense, and was just a hair outside of finishing on the First Team. Zu received Defensive Player of the Year votes and even an All NBA vote. It was a banner campaign for Zu.
The thing is, all of it was deserved. Zu played in 80 games, showing up just about each and every night to give the Clippers a points + rebounds double-double with exceptional defense. He was the lynchpin to the Clippers’ top-five defense, a monster inside protecting the rim and a smart help defender that consistently covered up for perimeter player mistakes. Zu was a force on the glass, punishing smaller opponents with offensive rebounds and getting the Clippers out in transition with defensive boards. The pick and roll chemistry with Harden reached new heights, and Zu carved out an increasingly large role as a go-to scorer in the post.
Zu’s excellent regular season carried into the postseason. He went head-to-head against one of the best players of all time in Nikola Jokic, and while the Clippers lost, Zu did his darndest to slow Jokic while scoring efficiently on the other end. He, like the entire team, slowed a bit as the series went along, but of all the Clippers’ key players he was the most consistent performer while handling the most difficult matchup. It was a strong capper to a great season for the longest-tenured Clipper.
Future with Clippers
Zu is under contract for three more years at just under $59M
total, one of the best non-rookie, non-superstar contracts in the entire NBA.
It’s almost impossible to imagine the Clippers moving Zu unless it’s for a true
superstar or for a blue-chip young prospect, and neither of those options seems
very likely in the near future. Ivica Zubac should be this team’s starting
center and defensive bedrock for most of the rest of this decade, and that’s a
good thing!