On their way to an NBA championship, the fans believe that James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook will take the Los Angeles Clippers to that final destination. In reality, the team will rely on the contributions of their 'big-men' like Ivica Zubac and newcomer Daniel Theis.
Having all four stars on the court at the same time could potentially mean mismatches on the defensive side of the ball, especially in terms of size, therefore both Centers will have to rise to the occasion in 'crunch-time.'
Center Duo
The 26-year-old Zubac has been with the Clippers since 2019 and competed in multiple postseason games for the red, blue and white. The Croatian center has been consistent during the regular-season, averaging 9.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Complementing Zubac is the veteran Theis, who is fresh off winning the FIBA World Cup title with Germany. The 31-year-old joined the Clippers after parting ways with the Pacers has a lot of experience in the playoffs, having previously played in the NBA Finals in 2022 with the Celtics where they would eventually fall to the Warriors.
Theis is also able to play both in the paint and shoot the three, which will give the Clippers offense versatility when he's on the floor.
Big role
Both big men will be key in the Clippers' aspirations for their first ever NBA championship. Head Coach Tyronn Lue will have to make sure to manage all four superstars in the roster correctly as well as balancing the minutes for Zubac and Theis in order to be successful on the long run.
The ability to defend in the paint for both Ivica Zubac and Daniel Theis will be fundamental when it comes down to guarding other big men in the Western Conference such as Jusuf Nurkic with the Phoenix Suns, Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets, and more.
