Ivica Zubac: ‘Whatever I Do, It Doesn’t Feel Right If We Lose’
Lakers Nation Breakdown: Why It’s Time To Be Excited About Ivica Zubac
Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost eight of their last nine games and things are looking bleak for the franchise. One beacon of light recently, however, has been the play of rookie center Ivica Zubac.

Zubac has started to become a regular part of the rotation and has recored a double-double in three of the last five games including back-to-back contests this week. After spending much of the early season developing in the D-League, Zubac is already starting to show that he can help the Lakers now.

Unfortunately, Zubac’s good games have been coming in Lakers losses and though Zubac is happy with his progress, he would prefer they come in victories according to Bill Oram of the OC Register:

“I feel like I’ve come around a lot,” Zubac said. “I can do a lot to help the team and I am trying to do my best. But it’s not good if we don’t get a win. It doesn’t feel right. Whatever I do, it doesn’t feel right if we lose.”

This is the kind of mindset that is encouraging. Zubac cares more about the team success than his individual stats which is promising for his future.

One place where Zubac has shined is in the pick-and-roll where his excellent screens and finishing ability around the basket has helped him become a major weapon. Zubac revealed that screen setting and pick-and-roll game is something he learned when he was young via Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com:

“I learned that when I was young,” Zubac said. “When you set a hard screen and roll hard, either you’re going to be open or somebody else is going to be open. That’s one of the first things I learned playing basketball. Wherever I go, that thing’s really helpful.”

Zubac is an extremely skilled young player with an outstanding amount of potential and he has shown as much recently. He makes an impact on both ends of the floor and although he still has a lot to work on, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

The Lakers have a lot of young talent on the roster and Zubac is another player that the Lakers staff was able to find outside of the lottery. If he realizes his potential, he could wind up being the best of the bunch.

You May Also Like

Jordan Brand Continues Focus On Trendsetting With Launch Of New ‘Season Of Her’ Women’s Line And 2018 NBA All-Star Game Jerseys

Before Michael Jordan became arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, or signed with Nike to become…

NBA Exec Refers To New-Look Lakers As ‘LAARP Squad’

The jokes about the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster have been constant since their roster has come together this NBA offseason…

Mike D’Antoni Could Be A Poor Choice For the New-Look Lakers

Well, that’s it folks. The excitement surrounding the City of Angels and…

Lakers Rumors: Paul George’s Agent Wants L.A. To Keep D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle

The Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be involved in trade talks with the Indiana Pacers centered around star forward Paul George….