Ivica Zubac has been a Pacer since February, but he’s only now settling in. After missing five games with a left ankle sprain, the 7-footer put up 16 points in Monday’s 125-122 loss in Dallas, and coach Rick Carlisle called it one of his best games in an Indiana uniform. For a Pacers team at 3-8 and searching for answers, the Pacers center adjustment may be one of the quieter storylines of a loud season.
Pacers Center Adjustment: Carlisle Sees ‘Good Signs’ From Zubac
Zubac scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 6-of-8 at the line in 28 minutes, but he grabbed only three rebounds. Carlisle said afterward that it was “one of his best games as a Pacer”. The coach added that the staff is getting a better feel for Zubac, and Zubac for them, and called it all good signs.
Carlisle was also frank about the bigger picture. The whole team, he said, is doing a lot of adjusting and calibrating, and has to figure things out without losing its concentration on defense.
Why the Fit Isn’t Automatic
Indiana’s style is built on ball movement, quick reads and pace. Zubac spent years in a slower Clippers system, and the Pacers knew the transition would take work. A Forbes report in February said he had the lowest average speed of any Pacer, and Indiana ranked third in passes per game at that point while the Clippers ranked 28th.
General manager Chad Buchanan said the Pacers don’t want to take away what Zubac does well, but he does need to adapt stylistically. Playing fast, Buchanan explained, isn’t just fast breaks. It’s quick decisions and constant ball reversal.
What the Numbers Show
Zubac is averaging 9.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.7 minutes over six games, shooting 56.8%. The ankle explains part of that, because he played just seven minutes on Oct. 25 before going down and returned on Nov. 4 at Memphis. His best night came in the opener, with 16 points and 15 rebounds in 34 minutes at New Orleans.
The ball movement looked right Monday. Indiana out-assisted Dallas 35-26, and Andrew Nembhard had 12 points and 12 assists.
A Season Searching for Traction
The wins just haven’t followed. Indiana has lost seven of its last eight. Against Dallas, the Pacers led by 13 late in the first half, and Pascal Siakam scored 26 of his 29 points before halftime and only three after it. Cooper Flagg had 43 and Kyrie Irving 35 as the Mavericks rallied in the fourth. Carlisle was furious about a non-call on the last play, calling the collision with Siakam a “football-caliber” hit.
Zubac can’t fix all of that himself. But Carlisle’s read on the Pacers center adjustment is a candid one: progress, not a finished product.
Pacers Center Adjustment: Coach Sees ‘Good Signs’ but Work Remains