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Ivica Zubac started for the Los Angeles Lakers in one game this season, but otherwise hasn't played a ton. Between his limited court time, as well as preseason and Las Vegas Summer League, however, the young center has developed a cult following.
That cult evidently now includes teammate Metta World Peace:
I'm talking about Zubac. He will be top 5 centers in the NBA in two more years. pic.twitter.com/SiNVSlQPyA
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) November 12, 2016
When looking at Zubac's numbers, it's hard to argue. Thd 19-year old is averaging 11 points and 5.5 rebounds 36 minutes, but his efficiency numbers tell the real story. The Lakers are scoring an insane 143.7 points per 100 possesions with Zubac on the floor, while their opponents score a mere 108.1 points per 100 possessions. That combination leaves Zubac with a net rating of 35.6, a full 20.7 points better than the Clippers league-best 14.9.
What these numbers make clear is that Metta may be being too conservative: Zubac is a top-five center right now. In fact, Luke Walton should probably be fired for not getting Zubac out on the court more often. I, for one, welcome our new post-scoring overlord.
Everything written after the tweet from World Peace was (hopefully obvious) satire. All stats per NBA.com. Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.