INDIANAPOLIS - Ivica Zubac didn’t get much time to settle in with the Indiana Pacers after last February’s trade-deadline deal. An ankle injury delayed his debut, then a broken rib ended his season after just five games. And the real twist was this: he never shared the floor with Pascal Siakam or Tyrese Haliburton.
That made this offseason feel less like a continuation and more like a first introduction. The first real chance for the trio to start building something came at a players-only minicamp in Nashville, Tennessee a few weeks ago.
Haliburton said the process is already moving in the right direction.
“The chemistry is coming along well,” Haliburton said. “The more experience and the more time we get together, the more it's going to help. The more we spend time off the court I think helps as well."
He also made it clear that the early impression Zubac has left away from the game has matched the league-wide reputation.
"I've gotten to know him really well and he's a really cool dude, which I've heard that from everybody who's been around him," Haliburton said.
The fit on the court is the bigger storyline, though, because Zubac brings a very different look than Haliburton had with Myles Turner. Haliburton spelled out the contrast plainly.
"It's a different dynamic in a sense of Myles is more of a finesse guy, a spacer, shooter," Haliburton said. "Zu is a very physical guy, hard screen setter, roller, plays more above the rim with lobs and rebounding."
That doesn’t seem to worry him. In fact, Haliburton said he saw this type of center as the more natural partner when he first entered the league.
"I feel like we're both pretty intelligent basketball players and I feel like it will work out," Haliburton said. "We spent a lot of time together these last couple of weeks.
I have no concerns. You put good basketball players around me and I feel like I'll do pretty well."
Siakam is going through his own adjustment with Zubac, but he sounded just as upbeat about what the new center brings. He didn’t hold back when describing Zubac up close.
"He's an awesome basketball player," Siakam said. "He's a big guy.
You don't really realize it till you're out there playing with him. He's a massive human being and he's awful smart."
Siakam added that Zubac’s feel for the game stands out even more than his size.
"His IQ is super high. His passing ability, things that you don't see till you get up close, he reads the game well," Siakam said. "Just a phenomenal basketball player, and again, super smart."
The spacing and gravity on the floor will look different with Zubac at center, but Siakam said he’s already familiar with the kind of big man he’s joining.
"I played with big guys of his size a little bit before," Siakam said. "I understand it's a different kind of gravity compared to other people, but he has that, and we're excited to have him on the team."
For Zubac, the challenge runs the other way: he has to learn the habits of Indiana’s two best players and find his place inside the offense. That’s part of why the Nashville minicamp mattered.
"Going to the minicamp I thought was really important," Zubac said. "Being on a new team and having such high expectations, it's better to start a little earlier with having never been on the floor with Ty or P before. It was good to get a feel of it before (training) camp."
Because the trade came in February rather than the offseason, Zubac had time to identify what needed work before training camp arrived. He said that meant sharpening the parts of his game that already travel and putting a heavier emphasis on conditioning.
"First of all, I was brought here because of the stuff that I can do at a high level and a lot of that stuff I worked on this summer just to get better at everything I do," Zubac said. "Then conditioning.
I think being ready to run more and be in better shape is going to be big for me. So, I focused on that this summer and feel like I'm in pretty good shape right now."
Zubac has played with plenty of accomplished point guards in his career - James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Reggie Jackson and Isaiah Thomas among them - but he said Haliburton presents a different kind of test. Even so, he doesn’t expect the transition to drag on.
"I don't think it will take long," Zubac said. "We didn't spend much time together on the court, but the time we did, it felt really natural.
For me, it was never hard playing with smart point guards. He's a very high-IQ player, and he's going to make the right reads."
Zubac also said he has been working on expanding his game this offseason while trying to keep his strengths intact.
"I think it's very important to find that balance of doing what I do (well) and we're working on a shot," Zubac shared. "We're going to keep working on it and see if it makes sense. But for now, I'm focused on doing what I do best, and improving ny shot in the workouts, and then we'll see if it makes sense."
The chemistry is still in its early stages, but the shared basketball IQ among Zubac, Haliburton and Siakam has helped speed things up. The minicamp in Nashville gave them a useful head start, and Zubac said that mattered after joining a team with high expectations. The adjustment is still underway, but both sides appear to be meeting in the middle.
In Other News...
Zubac Just Gave Pacers Fans An Encouraging Read On Team Chemistry
Ivica Zubac did not spend long in Indiana after arriving from the Los Angeles Clippers at last seasons trade deadline, but the early read he offered on the Pacers still stood out. At Media Day, Zubac praised the rosters camaraderie and compared the groups feel to the Croatian National Team, a notable compliment for a team leaning into continuity and chemistry as it tries to build on last seasons momentum.
For Pacers fans, the encouraging part is not just the tone of Zubacs comments, but the role that may come with them. He is expected to have a much larger presence this season alongside Tyrese Haliburton as Indianas center, which makes his comfort level with the locker room more than a feel-good note. If the fit clicks the way Zubac suggested, it could matter quickly for a team looking to turn chemistry into results. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Carlisle Sends A Clear Message About Tyrese Haliburtons Return
Tyrese Haliburton is expected back on the floor for the Pacers this season after missing the previous year with a torn Achilles, and the early messaging from Rick Carlisle has been pretty clear about how Indiana plans to handle it. The coach is not framing Haliburton as some isolated fix for everything that went wrong last season, but as one piece of a broader system the Pacers want to lean on as they try to move forward.
That approach also suggests Indiana will be cautious at first, with Haliburtons minutes potentially limited early as the team manages his health and reintegration. For a Pacers group coming off a rough season, the return of its point guard matters a lot, but Carlisles stance hints the organization is thinking bigger than one comeback and more about building something sustainable around him. [Read more 🡒]
Ivica Zubac Just Put A New Pacers Question In Focus
Ivica Zubac is already getting a feel for what life looks like in Indiana, and the adjustment starts with pace. The veteran big man talked about fitting into the Pacers' up-tempo approach and what it means to play alongside Tyrese Haliburton, whose quick-trigger style can turn a possession around before defenses are fully set.
Haliburton's return from injury adds another layer to the season's early rhythm, because Indiana is trying to rebuild chemistry while keeping its title expectations intact. Zubac's comments point to a familiar Pacers question: how quickly can the group sync up when the offense is built around a guard who pushes tempo and starts things earlier than most big men are used to? [Read more 🡒]