$22.6 Million, Re-signing with the Clippers! Proving Your Worth by Excelling Alongside Harden

By 739849140 May3,2024

The failure to seize the crucial moment of victory at Tianwang Mountain is not the most critical issue; rather, it’s the loss of confidence among key players that proves most fatal in clinching the series. During an interview, Paul George spoke about Game 6, saying, “I’ve been training hard all along for the playoffs. Game 6 doesn’t put much pressure on me. I just need to showcase the results of my training, and then I can accept whatever outcome.” At first glance, this statement might seem innocuous, but upon closer examination, coming from a role player, it would be acceptable. However, as the leader of the Clippers, George’s statement does indeed hint at a lack of confidence. Congratulations to the Clippers for their $22.6 million value surge; they have displayed the performance the outside world wanted to see.

If this mindset is prevalent among the Clippers’ leaders, it’s honestly almost declaring the end of this series against Dallas. Overall, the Clippers have been disappointing, with Kawhi Leonard contributing very little; he’s been a disaster for the team. Harden has tried his best, but George’s average points per game are still below 20 (19.8). It seems Harden has misjudged once again; his luck is truly abysmal. However, amidst this postseason journey, the Clippers have not been without gains. At least they can take pride in the performance of their core center, Ivica Zubac. The Clippers can find solace in him.

Shooting 7 for 8, in the crucial battle of Tianwang Mountain, Zubac scored 15 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and made 1 steal. To some extent, Zubac’s performance can be considered the most outstanding among the Clippers. Looking at Zubac’s interview, he mentioned “we must play better” seven times. Additionally, Zubac referred to their situation against the Mavericks in 2021 when they were also trailing 2-3 after five games but managed to secure a victory on the road and eventually win the series. It can be seen that at least in terms of mentality, Zubac is correct. He is prepared to win on the road, and in this series, Zubac’s performance justifies his leadership.

With an average of 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 steal per game, Zubac has significantly improved upon his regular-season average of 11.6 points, reaching a career-high postseason scoring rate. Furthermore, his shooting percentage stands at 61.0%, also a career-high in the playoffs. Not only that, in terms of rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, Zubac has reached his personal bests in the postseason. Even if the Clippers are eliminated in the first round, Zubac can leave with his head held high, having truly dominated in the paint. In the eyes of some, Zubac is the second-best performer for the Clippers in this series. Without him, the Clippers wouldn’t have won two games.

Before the start of the playoffs, Zubac was a concern for the Clippers. Since returning from injury, he had completely lost the form he showed during their winning streak. Undoubtedly, if Zubac couldn’t perform, the Clippers wouldn’t have gone far in the playoffs. However, Zubac didn’t disappoint; instead, it was the team’s stars, one after another, who left fans dismayed, especially the frontline duo, George and Leonard, each more disappointing than the other. However, from Zubac’s perspective, he has nothing left to prove. Even if the Clippers are eliminated now, his worth has been recognized, and signing an early extension contract shouldn’t be a problem.

$22.6 million over 2 years is Zubac’s remaining contract. After this season ends, Zubac will enter his contract year, and he will be eligible to discuss an early extension with the Clippers. When Zubac re-signed with the Clippers earlier, no one expected him to deliver top-tier performances; even Clippers supporters believed that as long as Zubac didn’t make mistakes, that would be satisfactory. However, before entering his contract year, Zubac encountered Harden, and with the latter’s assistance, he produced the peak performance of his career, giving him confidence. This improvement spans rebounding, defense, and overall physicality under the basket. With Zubac in this form, the Clippers have no reason not to retain him with a significant contract extension.

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