You guys are being hella tough imo on a guy that had to learn a modern NBA small ball league imo. He's 21... Not 31.
Eh. Zubac played 410 minutes all season, or 199 less than his rookie year. If it's just a body at the end of the bench, why waste the kid's time? Bryant's time was better spent in the G-League getting reps.
Teasing Us? As much as I wish he was playing in summer league I'm glad Bryant and Wagner are going to get most of the minutes
TF doesn’t he use those smooth Hakeem moves in the NBA? Instead he looks scared and rushed and goes straight up and gets his shot rejected.
Dayam!! He looks so much quicker and vertical there. He's going to be a really good center in this league with those skills and that base of his and size. But hope it's not already too late for him unless he brings really good value for our situation. He could have been in that kind of shape for SL last year if he had taken Magic seriously with his fitness challenge to everyone. We need BIG still on the team.
Ivica Zubac told 'SN' that he's been working on his body & explosiveness this past month & that he's lost 13 lbs. @Lakers Sorry I wasn’t clear. I was agreeing with you for these reasons.
Just disappointing to suddenly start taking his career seriously. Hasn’t strength and explosiveness been obvious weaknesses since the beginning? It is a positive, but is it also a red flag of the “contract year improvement” type of player? I suppose time will tell. I’d love to see him succeed.
I don't necessarily think Zu is a lazy guy. I think he's a kid that got a little complacent after showing some potential in his rookie season. For his sake, hopefully last season was a wake up call.
Most pro athletes aren’t lazy. Being tall only gets you so far, but does he have the desire to be GREAT? I think that is what we are after. We see his potential, and hopefully he realizes it.
If he said he has been working on anything for just a month I agree with sirron that's a head turner. Magic told everyone their playoffs they missed was going to be the work he wanted them doing starting at the exit meetings. Take a couple weeks off and then back at it. He has to have learned his lesson you'd think but then that kind thing to say?
If he took 5 weeks off, thats ok with me. You can take 5 weeks off and accomplish more than someone who was there all the time chilling in the gym. These kids are young and rich, they need an outlet to kind of enjoy life next to basketball. It usually helps them be better players too. You don't just improve by doing stuff...sometimes you improve by resting properly and getting your mind and body ready for whats ahead. I have said many times...too bad for Zu that the game moved in a direction that doesn't favor his body and his skills. He is slow and unathletic, not a good passer or shooter. There is only so much he can do to overcome some of the natural weaknesses that he has. With that said, it doesn't change my mind that I want a guy like him riding the pine rather than a Rob Sacre, Tyler Ennis, Alex Caruso and so on and so forth. He loves the Lakers and he is still just 21 and makes the minimum. I take it for the time being.