The Los Angeles Lakers had quite the draft haul last year. The team selected Brandon Ingram out of Duke with the second overall pick and may have gotten the steal in this draft class by grabbing Croatian center Ivica Zubac at 32 overall in the second round.
Everyone knew Ingram’s name when NBA commissioner announced the Lakers pick once LSU’s Ben Simmons was off the board at No. 1. Ingram was the clear choice for Los Angeles and may turn out to be the future face of the franchise, but no one knew who Zubac was until he put his skills on display in the NBA Summer League last July.
After an impressive first season in Los Angeles, Zubac is quickly becoming a household name while earning praise from the Lakers brass, coaching staff, teammates, and the media. New general manager Rob Pelinka made an appearance on ESPN 710’s Mason and Ireland on Monday and briefly talked about Zubac’s potential, via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Rob Pelinka called Ivica Zubac "a very, very promising player” & "someone we consider to be one of the pillars of the future.” (on ESPNLA)
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 24, 2017
Pelinka also mentioned getting a quality center that meshes well in the modern era of the NBA is a priority, via Winters:
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka says getting "a quality big, a quality 5 center,” that fits into today’s game is “definitely" something "a priority."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 24, 2017
Toward the end of the 2016-17 NBA season, Zubac had done enough to earning the starting spot at the center position. Veteran Timofey Mozgov had been shut down for the year with the playoffs out of reach, and Zubac showed tremendous promise with the little time he had to work with before becoming a starter in the frontcourt.
Although Zubac still has a lot of things to work on, especially on the defensive end of the basketball floor, he appears to have a long-term future with the Lakers.