Zubac Displays a Little Bit of Everything in Pacers Debut

Indiana's newly acquired big man has strong showing in first game with Pacers.

Mar 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots the ball while Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Ivica Zubac made his debut for the Indiana Pacers against the Phoenix Suns and quickly showed why the organization believes he can be an important piece moving forward.

Playing just sixteen first half minutes, Zubac displayed a little bit of everything: strong screen setting, impressive passing vision, soft touch around the rim, a defensive presence with solid shot contests, instinctive rebounding and a physical post presence that drew multiple double teams.

The vision of how he could fit with Indiana was clear, even though he spent much of his time on the floor alongside players who may not be part of the primary rotation next season.

To get a better sense of how Zubac looked in his first action with the team, I broke down several of his first-half possessions.

By halftime, Zubac had already posted eight points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 5-of-6 from the field in 16 of a possible 24 minutes.

Early Minutes

Zubac immediately made an impact in the opening tip, winning the jump ball against Oso Ighodaro.

He wasn’t heavily involved in the Pacers’ first few offensive possessions, but his positioning was notable. Indiana attempted to establish him early with a post-up on the opening set before shifting him toward the baseline area around 12–15 feet from the basket.

The Pacers’ first attempt to feed Zubac in the paint came via a high entry pass from the perimeter. The pass hung in the air long enough for Phoenix to deflect it off Zubac, a clear indication the Suns were focused on preventing clean post touches against Ighodaro, who was giving up both height and weight.

Indiana later ran a screen-and-post action for Zubac. After freeing up Ethan Thompson with a screen on Royce O'Neale, Zubac immediately sealed Ighodaro in the paint.

Phoenix sent a double-team, leaving Thompson open. Zubac calmly kicked the ball back out, and Thompson knocked down a midrange jumper.

Moments later, Zubac scored his first points as a Pacer, ferociously finishing a lob from Thompson.

ZUUU FOR 2.

Ivica Zubac rocks the rim & grabs his first points as a member of the Pacers 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/HG81Zj28bk

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 12, 2026

Passing Vision on Display

One of the most noticeable aspects of Zubac’s game was how quickly he moved the ball.

When Andrew Nembhard faced full-court pressure, Zubac caught a pass above the arc and immediately swung it to a guard to initiate the offense. On another possession, he spotted Jalen Slawson cutting along the baseline and attempted a bounce pass from the right elbow, though it was deflected.

Even in limited action with lineups unlikely to be used next season, his court vision was evident.

Mar 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) holds the ball while Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pick-and-Roll Impact + Offensive Rebounding

To begin the second quarter, Indiana ran a pick-and-roll with Nembhard and Zubac.

Zubac caught the ball near the rim with defenders collapsing around him, quickly kicked it back out to Nembhard, and the ball eventually swung to Slawson for a corner three. When the shot missed, Zubac secured the offensive rebound and immediately found Jarace Walker cutting down the lane for a dunk.

Jarace Walker with the two-handed slam off the bounce pass from Ivica Zubac 💪 pic.twitter.com/7CYfUKKTGY

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 12, 2026

Later, Zubac and Thompson ran another pick-and-roll, where Zubac connected on his trademark push shot for his second basket.

Nembhard also delivered a perfect entry pass on a later possession, allowing Zubac to go up for a contested shot in the post. After the miss, Zubac appeared frustrated he didn’t receive a foul call and briefly discussed the play with the official.

Finishing Strong

Zubac scored again with a right-handed hook shot over Khaman Maluach shortly after grabbing his sixth defensive rebound.

Mar 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots the ball while Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

On another possession, Zubac set a screen for Nembhard, rolled hard to the basket and received the pass. Three Suns defenders collapsed around him, but he remained patient, gently flipping the ball in over Maluach.

It was arguably the toughest shot he attempted all night and a perfect example of the touch and composure that make him effective around the rim.

Final Thoughts

Zubac's presence was immediately felt. He is such a strong screener and low post presence, that Phoenix consistently sent help to avoid Zubac any one-on-one advantages. Although he only played sixteen first-half minutes, Zubac displayed all that he can offer this team.

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