Clippers’ James Harden teammate explains how his presence elevates team performance

The Los Angeles Clippers have put together an impressive regular NBA season and are firmly in the playoff conversation—whether they lock in a top-six seed or fight through the Play-In Tournament. A key reason behind their success is the performance and leadership of James Harden. But one of the biggest beneficiaries of Harden’s presence has been center Ivica Zubac, who is having the best season of his career.

“I think it’s just me getting more touches in the post,” Zubac told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Most of the teams now, they send a double team – so it’s just kind of reading the game, you know?”

The numbers back him up. Zubac leads the NBA with 304 post touches this season—more than MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic. Just a year ago, he recorded only 91 post touches in 68 games. Zubac also credits Harden’s playmaking for his expanded role.

“A lot of teams double James in pick-and-roll, and I get the ball in the short roll,” he explained. “And we play 4-on-3. I feel like I’m one of the best in the league at having the ball in the short roll and playmaking out of that.”

Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts after a dunk during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Zubac’s breakout year in numbers

Zubac has already made history this season, becoming the first Clippers player since Blake Griffin in 2011 to record 50 double-doubles in a single campaign. He’s averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game entering Friday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, surpassing last year’s mark of 11.7, which at the time was also a career best.

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His development as a playmaker has also been notable. Zubac is averaging 2.5 assists per game—nearly double his career average of 1.3—demonstrating that his offensive growth goes far beyond scoring.

The work behind the breakout

In previous seasons, Zubac wasn’t viewed as a major offensive threat. But this year, he focused on developing his skill set and addressing weaknesses that had made him an easier NBA matchup in the past.

After noticing that teams had started adjusting to his post-up tendencies—something he said began last year—Zubac knew he needed to evolve. “I spent a lot of time just working on my counters over my right shoulder that I think are really helping me right now,” he said. “And teams can’t really be like, ‘just send him to his left,’ because now I can shoot with both hands.”

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