Apr 13, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) and guard Stephen Curry (30) vie for position against LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Ex-Knicks, Grizzlies Star Makes Bold Statement On Clippers' Ivica Zubac

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Grant Mona | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 7:24 PM ET

The modern game of basketball is predicated on scoring, perimeter play, and athletic defense. When Warriors superstar Steph Curry revolutionized the game with the three-point shot, teams began to shift their focus beyond the arc.

Some good players' games were phased out because the mid-range game was considered archaic and a thing of the past, while others earned multiple contracts because of the need for shooting.

Shaquille O'Neal and Zach Randolph both embodied the traditional power forward or center archetype. O'Neal made a Hall of Fame career out of being a dominant low-post presence for years and Randolph's simple, but physical back-to-the-basket approach earned him two All-Star appearances and an All-NBA Third Team in 2011.

Ivica Zubac's style of play mimics what most centers played like in the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. He averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in 80 games played, while also averaging 1.1 blocks per game on the other side of the basketball.

Zubac was incredibly efficient as all traditional big men should be, averaging 62.8% from the field. On Shaquille O'Neal's podcast, "The Big Podcast," he and former Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph discussed which players could play in the old era of the NBA.

ALL-DEFENSIVE BIG ZU ️

Congrats to Ivica Zubac on being named to the 2024-25 @Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team! pic.twitter.com/NxSogce6tq
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) May 22, 2025

"So who's a big man you watch now today and think 'they could've played with us.' I get a lot of flak but that's how I judge players - if they could play with us," O'Neal asked Randolph.

"I like Zubac. I think Zubac could've bumped with us back then," Randolph answered.

That is high praise coming from one of the best low-post scorers of the past 20 years. Zubac finished the regular season with a 15-game double-double streak, recording his first career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Rockets.