Ivica Zubac, the Los Angeles Clippers’ towering presence in the paint, is finally gaining recognition.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently showered the Croatian big man with high praise, even comparing him to former Defensive Player of the Year, Marc Gasol.
On his podcast, Simmons drew striking parallels between Ivica Zubac and the Spanish legend.
“This guy really reminds me of this (Marc) Gasol on the Grizzlies, that 2013, 2014, 2015 era Gasol,” Simmons remarked.
But Simmons didn’t stop there. He boldly suggested Zubac might even surpass Gasol in certain aspects. “He’s big. He’s always in ready position with his hands up and players from the other team are always afraid of him protecting the rim. He is a better rebounder than Gasol was,” Simmons declared.
The numbers back up this claim. Zubac is averaging an impressive 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks this season.
In the regular season finale against the Warriors, Zubac demonstrated his elite capabilities with 22 points and 13 defensive rebounds while establishing a formidable presence protecting the rim.
While conversations about the Clippers typically revolve around stars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, Simmons believes Zubac deserves more recognition.
“Zubac, like, incredibly important for this team and kinda better than people realize. You watched the game (vs Warriors), he was awesome,” Simmons emphasized.
The Ringer founder even went as far as to suggest All-NBA honors for the Clippers center. “I think he’s gonna be in the third team All-NBA for me,” he stated confidently.
As Zubac and the Clippers prepare to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Simmons dropped his most audacious take yet.
“I think he’s the third best center in basketball right now, behind Karl-Anthony Towns and (Nikola) Jokic obviously. Jokic is number one but I think he (Zubac) is third.”
Aside from having really good numbers, Zubac durability is also equally remarkable. He’s appeared in 80 games and became a cornerstone in the Clippers’ automatic playoff qualification.
With such high praise from one of basketball’s most respected voices, all eyes will be on Zubac as he looks to prove Simmons right in the postseason spotlight.
