The Indiana Pacers have an injury update on the injured starting center Ivica Zubac after he picked up an ankle injury on Sunday night.
Zubac received negative X-ray results on his left ankle following an injury sustained during a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 29-year-old big man suffered a left ankle sprain in the first quarter after stepping on the foot of teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. while pursuing a rebound.
While the clean X-rays confirmed there is no fracture, head coach Rick Carlisle noted that Zubac is dealing with swelling, and the center subsequently left the arena on crutches, according to Michael Scotto of ClutchPoints.
Consequently, he is considered unlikely to play in the team’s upcoming back-to-back matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks as the coaching staff monitors his day-to-day recovery status.
What Will The Indiana Pacers Miss From Ivica Zubac?
Functioning as the anchor of the paint, he opened the campaign with a monster 16-point, 15-rebound double-double in a victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.
He followed that up with a strong 9-point, 11-rebound effort against the Dallas Mavericks.
Zubac has logged a highly efficient 60% shooting mark from the field, anchoring the interior alongside All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton in Rick Carlisle’s fast-paced offense.
He only played seven minutes against the Nets because of the injury.
Pacers Head Coach Explains How Ivica Zubac Fits On The Team’s Offensive System
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has a fast-paced system, something Ivica Zubac is not used to when he was still playing with the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers.
According to Carlisle, the Pacers are adjusting to fit Zubac into their offensive system.
“Our system is slightly different than what they did with the Clippers,” Carlisle said, “but he’s working hard at adjusting to how we play, and there’s certain things that we’re adjusting because he’s a little different than anybody we’ve ever had.”
“You never are all the way to your destination. There’s always going to be work and adjustments and continued need for attention to detail, with everything, with Zu and everybody else we have.”
His teammate Andrew Nembhard has also opened up on Zubac’s fit with the team, saying that the post-up big gave the team a new dynamic and they are looking to harness his potential alongside Tyrese Haliburton.
“Just communicating what we see out there and understanding,” Nembhard said. “We’re just working on him getting up to touch. He’s always been in a drop. I think the biggest thing that he helps us with is the defensive rebounds and our defensive possessions, but start our offense too.”
“It’s been like a year or so, so it’s just like creating that chemistry like I was talking about. A lot of guys can do a lot of different things out there, so just trying to be aggressive but also fit in at the same time,” he added.
Zubac is considered a crucial piece for the Pacers this season, especially as the team is welcoming back Tyrese Haliburton, who sat out the entire season last year.
In the first three games of the season, the Pacers won twice, providing optimism about the team’s chances of being among the contenders this season.
Indiana Pacers Announce Injury Update For Ivica Zubac