IVICA Zubac

The season opened on October 7 against Minnesota, and Indiana won. Zubac had a quiet line that night: 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 17.6 minutes, with a minus-13 while he was on the floor. The Pacers then dropped three straight. Against Atlanta on October 10, he scored 11 with 5 rebounds in 20.8 minutes. The Oklahoma City game on October 13 was his best of the young season: 13 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in 18.0 minutes, with a plus-11 in a loss. He followed that with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 19.8 minutes against Milwaukee on October 16, posting a plus-13 in another loss. Indiana has lost games where Zubac's minutes were a net positive, which says something about what happens when he sits.

Zubac played 48 games for Indiana last season and averaged 30.1 minutes. He put up 14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, with 0.4 steals and 0.8 blocks. He turned the ball over 1.8 times a night. His efficiency was his calling card: 59.8 percent from the field and a 62.2 true shooting percentage on an 18.6 usage rate. He did not attempt threes, shooting 0.0 percent from deep, and he hit 71.1 percent of his free throws. His plus-minus for the year was minus-1.0. Those are the numbers of a low-usage, high-percentage center who does his work near the rim. The gap between his 30.1 minutes last season and the sub-21 he has played so far this year is the first thing to watch.

The back half of last season was rough for the Pacers, and Zubac's game logs show it. On February 2 against Philadelphia he played 33.0 minutes in a loss, scoring 8 with 9 rebounds. In mid-March Indiana lost five straight games on his ledger: Phoenix on March 12, New York on March 13 and again on March 17, Milwaukee on March 15, and Portland on March 18. His best scoring night in that stretch was 18 points with 8 rebounds against the Trail Blazers. Against the Knicks on March 17 he was a minus-21 in 26.3 minutes. His minutes in those March games ranged from 16.1 to 28.9. Every one of the ten most recent games on his record, going back to February, is a loss except the season opener against Minnesota.

Zubac's name has come up in two recent roundups of Pacers coverage. A Central Notes column on October 10, via Chloe Peterson, grouped him with Haliburton, Watson, Buzelis and Swain. A Pacers Notes piece on October 16 listed him alongside Haliburton, Nesmith, McConnell and Boom. Neither headline points to a specific transaction, and nothing in those reports describes a trade or a change to his role. A separate Pacific Notes item on October 21 covering Jackson, Redick, Ike, Booker and Podziemski does not involve Indiana directly. For now, the Zubac storyline is about minutes and fit, not about where he plays next. Treat anything beyond that as speculation until a report says otherwise.

The number that matters is minutes. Zubac averaged 30.1 last season and has not cracked 21 in any game this season. He has produced when he plays, with a plus-11 and a plus-13 in his last two outings, both in losses. If Indiana keeps losing while he posts positive plus-minus marks in short stints, the pressure to extend his run will grow. His rebounding is the other key. He pulled down 13 against Oklahoma City and 11 against Milwaukee, right in line with the 10.6 he averaged last season. The Pacers are 1-3 and need to stack wins. Zubac being healthy and available is a start. Whether the rotation leans on him more is the open question.