– Ivica Zubac struggled to take a step forward
One of the bright spots for the Lakers at the end of last season was the play of Ivica Zubac. In the second half of the season, Zubac got a chance with the Lakers and played some good basketball. Last season, Zubac averaged 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
Coming into the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament, Zubac was predicted to be one of the best players for the Lakers. Like Brandon Ingram, as second-year players, Zubac was expected to dominate at the center position. However, he played pretty poorly in the tournament.
As a young player, Zubac missed a huge opportunity to solidify himself as the backup center for the Lakers. Now, the organization has added a veteran that is going to make things difficult for Zubac to get playing time on the Lakers.
With training camp right around the corner, Zubac is going to have to perform better than he did in the Summer League. If Brook Lopez does miss a few preseason games, that will be extra opportunities for Zubac to impress the Lakers brass. While Zubac has shown glimpses, he needs to be more consistent if he is going to have a role on the Lakers to start the season.