Lakers rumors: Ivica Zubac starting to impress Luke Walton

The latest Lakers rumors look at what rookie Ivica Zubac has done to make a first impression.

Luke Walton has been outspokenly behind his players since being announced as their new coach. This season has presented plenty of obstacles for the young team, but they’re on their way up.

D’Angelo Russell has shown a lot of promise, with room to work on his inconsistency. Brandon Ingram is finally finding his scoring game. Julius Randle is a monster and Jordan Clarkson helps lead the best bench in the league.

Then there’s Ivica Zubac.

Taken later in the most recent draft, the Lakers took him with the hopes he could provide quality play as a big man.

Overall, you get the sense that the team is still exploring their options. They don’t look like they’ll be making a move at the trade deadline, but we never really know.

According to a recent report by Lakers Nation, however, the rookie is making a clear impact and impression on Luke Walton.

Per the report:

"“On the court, he continually flashes potential of everything the Lakers have lacked: shot-blocking, scoring, and passing from the center position. It also doesn’t hurt that Zubac draws comparisons to a young Marc Gasol…”"

Filling in the gaps that Zubac brings to the table is a must for the Lakers to compete.

There’s still breathing room for a playoff run if they can catch the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Getting any higher than that up the totem pole is highly unlikely, as the quality of teams from seven through one are well above par.

Zubac just needs to finalize some of his game and also show he can mix well with the other players.

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