Ivica Zubac arrives in Indiana with a clear assignment: help the Pacers climb back from a 19-win season and into the mix in the Eastern Conference.
That’s a sharp turn for a team that missed the playoffs entirely a year ago, but the context matters. Tyrese Haliburton sat out while recovering from a torn Achilles, and without him, Indiana never looked like the same group. Now he’s back, and the Pacers are trying to get back to the level they reached when they came within one win of the NBA title.
Zubac is one of the biggest changes around him. Indiana brought in the big man at last year’s trade deadline with the idea that he could be the center of the future, and this season he’ll be asked to do more than just anchor the middle. He’s a strong rebounder, and with Haliburton creating offense, he should have chances to finish around the rim.
Bleacher Report’s NBA staff recently ranked the top 99 players in the league for the coming season, and Zubac came in at No. 65. That’s solid company, and it puts a spotlight on what he can mean for Indiana right away.
The fit is the real question. The Pacers have been at their best with Haliburton when they’re flying up and down the floor, pushing pace and wearing teams down.
Zubac will need to adjust to that style, and there’s no guarantee it happens instantly. Indiana could also lean into his strengths and slow things down some, giving him more room to work inside.
However it shakes out, Zubac gives the Pacers something they’ve lacked before: a real interior presence. If that meshes with Haliburton’s return, Indiana has the kind of balance that can make this season interesting fast.
The target is simple enough. Indiana wants to win the NBA title, and Zubac is going to be part of that push.
In Other News...
LeBron Just Put All The Pressure On Tyrese Haliburtons Return
LeBron James has already added a fresh layer of intrigue to Indianas outlook by pointing to the Pacers comeback potential and tying it directly to Tyrese Haliburtons health. For a team that has built so much of its identity around Haliburtons playmaking and feel for the game, the timing matters as much as anything else. His recent return to five-on-five work after an Achilles injury is a notable step, and it has naturally revived bigger questions about where the Pacers can go once he is fully back.
Haliburtons importance goes beyond the box score because so much of Indianas offense runs through his decision-making and pace. The Pacers have other pieces expected to help them push back toward contender status, but the conversation keeps circling back to the guard who changes the ceiling when he is right. LeBrons comments only sharpened that reality, turning Haliburtons comeback into more than a routine injury update and into a central part of the Pacers larger hopes. [Read more 🡒]
Ivica Zubac Is Quieting One Big Pacers Concern Fast
Ivica Zubac has wasted little time giving the Pacers a feel for what they were after when they brought him over from the Clippers. In preseason play, he has already shown the kind of steady interior presence Indiana has been looking for, helping on the glass, setting solid screens and chipping in points around the rim. For a team that wanted more reliability in the paint, that kind of early impact matters.
The bigger picture is just as encouraging for Indiana because Zubac does not have to be the focal point to matter. His game is versatile enough to fit alongside the Pacers core pieces, and his ability to operate as a third option gives the offense another layer without forcing touches. If this early stretch is any indication, one of the teams biggest concerns is being addressed quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Gave Pacers Fans An Early Reason To Believe
Tyrese Haliburton was back in the lineup for the Pacers third preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he wasted little time giving Indiana something to build on. In a 114-112 overtime loss, Haliburton looked sharp offensively, finishing with 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting while adding three assists, three rebounds and two blocks after sitting out the previous game.
For a preseason game that ended in a narrow defeat, the bigger takeaway for Indiana was the way Haliburton looked running the show again. The Pacers also got a strong night from Ivica Zubac, who posted 13 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals in just 18 minutes, but Haliburtons return was the clearest sign the team can start imagining what its offense might look like once the games count. [Read more 🡒]