Injuries To The Cleveland Cavaliers Have Increased The Confidence Of Ante Zizic
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 4: Ante Zizic #41 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks on October 4. 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Recent injuries to the Cleveland Cavaliers have resulted to playing time for some of the younger/less decorated players on the roster. Ante Zizic has benefited the most from injuries to Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, John Henson, and Larry Nance Jr. The 7-footer has improved every aspect of his game. He’s made himself a building block for the Cavs.
The Croatian-born Zizic has blossomed right before our eyes. The Cavs received Zizic in the Kyrie Irving deal. Some considered him a throw-in. The Cavaliers front office thought of him as a potential cornerstone of the team. Zizic has begun to show the NBA why he was a first-round draft pick.
Zizic isn’t the most agile or athletic big man you’ll find today. He does play a bit stiff. Defense is also a big issue, but, what he’s done is develop his game on the offensive side of the ball. Zizic is a master at setting effective screens. He’s also extremely efficient at getting to the basket off of those screens.
There have been quite a few instances where Zizic has made a play off the screen. He doesn’t have the prettiest technique. The shot does need some work. He’s not very polished positing up or getting in position down low. You’d also like to see Zizic develop a consistent jump shot. Yet, there’s just so much potential.
The previously mentioned injuries have given Zizic a chance to showcase his talents. Over his last 5 games, he’s scored 16 and 18 points in two different contests. He’s had two games of 8 rebounds, one with 6. His offensive rebound numbers are impressive over the 5-game stretch. He’s gotten 3 on two different occasions. One night he had 4 during a contest against Indiana in January.
Larry Drew loves the effort Zizic brings on the glass. He praised the big man and suggested the team might have to find a way to get him on the floor more once the team is healthy.
“But the things that Z does on the floor, first of all he’s big and he’s real active around the glass. He gets his hands on a lot of balls and he’s a good finisher around the basket. But that’s a nice problem to have because he certainly has shown over the last couple of weeks that he deserves to play.”
There’s enough offensive potential to warrant the Cleveland Cavaliers taking a deeper look at him. The playing time he’s received has done wonders for his confidence. He just needs to fine tune a few things on offense and gets a better grasp of NBA defense.
For Zizic, who didn’t get playing time this or last season when the Cavs were healthy, it’s a step in the right direction. He’s very capable of being a starting big man in today’s NBA. He’ll never be an All-Star, but Zizic can average 12 and 10 a night. That’s not bad for a Cleveland Cavaliers team that needs all the talent it can have.
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
