New Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac isn't much of a floor spacer. At all. In nearly 10 NBA seasons, he is 1-for-12 from beyond the arc. He hasn't made a three-pointer since 2021, and he hasn't even attempted one since 2023.
Zubac doesn't need to be a three-point specialist to be a valuable contributor in Indiana, but it sure would help. And according to the man himself, it seems like the Pacers are going to try to unlock this area of his game (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the IndyStar).
"I'm gonna be in the corner a lot more than in the (dunker spot)," Zubac said, referring to a position just outside the paint on the baseline that allows players to catch the ball and quickly go for a dunk. "I'm used to being in the dunker when I want the ball, but that's something he doesn't want. He wants me to be in the corner and if I get the ball to go into the next action, into a hand-off or a step-up and play out of that. ... Spacing out to the corner is going to be something new, but I'm looking forward to it."
"I always thought I could shoot that shot," Zubac said. "I obviously didn't get a lot of chances to do it with the Clippers, but I always worked on it and wanted to shoot it but never had a chance. We'll see how open he will be for that. If that's what they want me to do, I have the rest of the season and the whole summer to work on it and be ready for next year."
Ivica Zubac adding a three-point shot would be huge for the Pacers
You don't need to be able to hit threes to be a great player in the NBA, and Zubac is proof of that. He is an elite paint presence on both sides (not to mention he earned All-Defensive Second Team honors and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season), and he is also a great rebounder and an underrated passer.
In 43 games this season, the 28-year-old has averaged 14.4 points on 61.3% shooting, 11 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He is going to be a game-changer for the Pacers defensively and on the boards, and fans should be excited to see what he will bring to the table.
However, Indiana's offense lost a lot of its dynamic when Myles Turner left last summer, and that's largely because of his ability to stretch the floor.
Turner had his flaws, but his three-point shooting made him a very important part of their system. Last season, he shot a career-high 39.6% from deep on 5.5 attempts. Zubac likely won't become this much of a perimeter threat, but if he can even somewhat reach that level, it would be a great development for Indiana.
Zubac is going to make the Pacers a lot better, and it's certainly exciting to see what he can do once Tyrese Haliburton returns. But it seems like there are still some areas of his game he is looking to unlock, and that is something fans should certainly keep an eye on once he finally dons the blue and gold.