Clippers’ Ivica Zubac And Norman Powell Better Off With Just James Harden? Analyzing Their Current Effectiveness

Kawhi Leonard and his lingering knee inflammation have dictated much of the conversation around the Clippers. Once coach Ty Lue announced that the Klaw would be indefinitely sidelined to begin the 2024-25 season, many fans threw in the towel on LA’s campaign.

However, even though it’s early in the year, the roster has looked formidable in its own right. James Harden, who announced himself as ‘the system’ upon landing in Los Angeles last season, has had the chance to live up to that title. And through two games, the Beard has certainly done it justice.

Last night, Harden dropped a season-high 16 assists against the Denver Nuggets, leading the Clips to their first win of the season. The loss of Paul George and Russell Westbrook has seemingly unlocked a new level for the Clippers’ role players too – particularly Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac.

The offense, now centered around Harden’s playmaking, Norman Powell to explode for 37 points, including 7 of 11 from deep. Zubac too has thrived under the increased offensive load, boasting the first back-to-back 20-point games of his career. Against the defending MVP Nikola Jokić, Zubac tallied 24 points and 15 rebounds to help the Clippers win 109-104 in Denver.

Even with the small sample size, their performances were promising enough to assuage concerns about the Clippers being understaffed. But more than that, they also raise a question about whether Kawhi’s absence and George’s departure have had a positive impact on LA’s lineups, chemistry, and overall fit.

Will Powell thrive with more touches this season?

Powell squashed the hopes of a Denver Nuggets comeback last night, pouring in 26 of his 37 points during the second half. He recorded a regular-season career-high of 20 points in the fourth quarter, securing the Clippers’ first win of the season.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2022, Powell has usually been the third or fourth option on the team. It’s affected his production, but the 9-season veteran has remained consistent regardless of his role.

Last year, he attempted 3.4 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game and converted them at an impressive 49.6% clip. However, that campaign also saw his lowest points per game average since 2018-19 because the former UCLA Bruin was assigned an off-ball role on the wings.

At his roots, Powell is a tough shot-maker with a reliable handle. He is an expert at leveraging his shooting threat to get to the cup or the mid-range, particularly thriving on drives. His first full season in LA saw him display that inside-out bag as he averaged 3.3 catch-and-shoot three-pointers, nailing 42.6% of them.

Powell was making 8.5 drives per game that season, scoring 54.4% of the time.

PG and Kawhi missed significant time due to injuries during the 2022-23 season and Powell benefited from it, recording 17 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and nearly 1 steal in just 26 minutes per game.

With a sparse offensive rotation this season, the Clippers can certainly rely on him to scale up. Furthermore, as a veteran role player, Powell’s offense often comes within the flow of the game. Through two games this season, he is averaging 17 points while keeping his time of possession at just 2 seconds. This makes him an excellent pairing alongside a ball-dominant guard in James Harden.

Powell’s efficient scoring allows the Beard to keep possession of the ball – currently for 9.8 seconds per possession – and carve up the defense to create openings for his teammates. Furthermore, it’s always beneficial if one of your best scorers requires very little time to get their shot off. As the adage goes, nobody moves faster than the ball and LA can benefit from more dynamic and less isolation-heavy schemes this season.

Harden and Zubac can create an easy offense for the Clippers

No player has a greater bang for their buck than Zubac. He has averaged 10 points and 8.4 rebounds since joining the Clippers in 2019, and during that stretch, Zubac has never had a time of possession higher than 1.2 seconds. The reason he’s found success even with such limited touches is that he knows that the best offense comes within the flow of the game.

He touched on his offensive approach after the Clippers won their first game this season. “Make the right plays, make the right reads and sometimes it might be 20, sometimes it might be 8. Whatever it is, just play the right way,” the 27-year-old expressed.

He also shared how running more actions with Harden has enabled him to get more open looks. When the Beard was told that Zubac had scored 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time, he coyly responded, “I wonder why.”

Pick-and-rolls between Zu and the Beard are certainly going to be the bread and butter of this Clippers offense. Even without a playmaker as proficient as Harden, Zubac averaged 1.3 points per possession as the roll-man in 2022-23.

He was also among the highest volume cutters in the NBA last season, scoring 70.7% of the time on the 2.3 attempts per game he created off-ball. But his bag doesn’t just comprise him being in the right place at the right time.

Zu boasts a soft touch around the rim and can convert in a variety of ways with his back to the basket. Last season, he grabbed 2.9 offensive rebounds and while he was not as prolific on putbacks as some of the league’s more athletic big men; the Croatian did manage 1.08 points per possession on putbacks.

Furthermore, Zubac derives much of his value on the defensive end where his 7’4 wingspan and 240 lbs frame make him a valuable disruptor. When he was on the floor last season, 47.4% of the Clippers’ rebounds found their way into his hands. Within six feet of the rim – where bigs traditionally earn their money – Zu had the third-best opponent field goal percentage among starting centers who played over 50 games.

But this season, he knows that the team needs that same effort and intensity from him on the offensive end. “I think that’s gonna be one of the things this season, just being more aggressive on offense…We need it, especially now with Kawhi [Leonard] out,” the Croatian center expressed after picking up a 20-point double-double against the 3x MVP, Jokić.

We’re just two games into the 2024-25 season and the LA Clippers have already played a more exciting brand of basketball than most expected them to. Expect more updates as the trio of Harden, Zubac, and Powell continue their campaign against the Warriors and Trail Blazers next week.