Los Angeles Lakers center Ivica Zubac says he didn't come to the NBA for no reason. Zubac, who was drafted at number 32 by L.A. in last year's NBA draft, has had a good debut season so far. He has become a regular member of the team's rotation, and has been a starter in the last couple of games. In the last five games, the rookie has been averaging 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, reveals ESPN. The rookie without any doubt badly wants to have some playing minutes next year, and he is set to put in work in order to achieve the goal.
''It's really great for me to be on the court against the best players in the world.
That's why I came to the NBA to compete against them. I'm gonna try to do that every night, get some experience, build my spot for the next season,'' Zubac told reporters after the match against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Zubac heaps praise on teammate Brandon Ingram
Second overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft, Brandon Ingram, has also been playing some good basketball recently. The Los Angeles Lakers small forward is playing at a higher level since the All-Star break, averaging 12.4 points in the last 10 games. His numbers have incresed in the last five clashes -- 14.6 points per game. Even though the Lakers have one of the worst records in the league, the one bright spot in all of this is that their young players are able to gain valuable experience as the regular season winds down.
''Yeah. Like since the All-Star break he's been really good,'' Ivica Zubac said of Ingram. ''He's not hesitant on his shots. So, I think he's really doing good and he (has) got to keep up this way.''
Just play hard and compete
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton decided to start the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson in the starting lineup.
The coach was hesitant to do that this season, but the experiment on Sunday went well. Russell ended the clash with 40 points, while Clarkson added 19 points.
''I don't know. I mean, we played hard, and when we play hard -- anything can happen,'' Ivica Zubac replied. ''If we compete like that -- we can play with anybody.
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