On August 22nd, 2017, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a franchise-altering move. Cleveland traded All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a package consisting of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, and Ante Zizic.
Although moving on from their 25-year-old star wasn’t preferred, the the trade was supposed to improve the Cavs as a team. Thomas had averaged nearly 30 points per game in 2016-2017, and Crowder was a versatile defender who shot 40 percent from beyond the arc. Almost a year later, Zizic is the only player from that trade still on the team, despite being the least valuable part of the package.
Thomas’ hip injury prevented him from seeing the floor until January, and he was terrible in his 15 games with Cleveland. Crowder wasn’t nearly as bad as Thomas was, but he was a shell of the player he was with Boston.
The draft pick that the Cavaliers acquired ended up being the eight overall selection, not the top five or top three pick it was expected to be when the trade was made. The Cavs chose Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, and he has impressed thus far in the NBA Summer League.
Speaking of the Summer League, Zizic has been fantastic. He has averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He ranks sixth out of all Summer League players in points per game and second in rebounds. Zizic’s size (6-foot-11, 250-lbs) makes him a tough player to defend, and although he is still incredibly raw, his offensive technique is quite refined for a 21-year-old.
The Summer League isn’t the best indicator of future success, as the competition level isn’t great, but Zizic also played well last season when he filled in during Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr.’s injuries. He held his own against top centers like Jonas Valanciunas and Andre Drummond, and on the season, he shot a fantastic 73 percent from the field.
Zizic is a very efficient player, and a big part of that is his shot selection. He can hit a mid-range jumpshot, but only attempts them when he is wide-open. Usually, when he receives a pass around the free-throw line, he will move closer to the basket, and then employ his signature move; a devastatingly smooth up-and-under that gets defenders jumping so quickly that by the time their feet land on the floor, Zizic has crossed the defender’s entire body and is already in his layup motion.
Zizic is also a skilled offensive rebounder and is very adept at boxing out, using his body to block opponents from getting to the ball. Zizic’s rebounding numbers aren’t quite as high as one would think a traditional center’s should be, but that is because Zizic boxes out not only for himself, but for others. This has already manifested itself in the Summer League, as Sexton is an aggressive rebounder for a point guard and has benefited from Zizic’s skill.
The big man is also a very good passer. He has good court vision and can find teammates open around the three-point line once defenders converge on him in the post. If Zizic is able to play with Kevin Love this season, Cleveland’s ball movement should be much improved from the past four seasons.
However, there is a reason that Boston was willing to give up Zizic. He is rather slow. Athletically, he is below average for a center in today’s NBA. In an era where big men such as Clint Capela and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the prototype, Zizic just doesn’t have the lateral quickness to dominate.
This primarily hurts him on defense, where he isn’t terrible, but he is not good enough to be considered a solid defender, at least not yet.
The Cavaliers have team options on Zizic’s contract through the 2020-2021 season, after which he will be eligible for the qualifying offer, and to enter free agency following the 2021-2022 campaign.
Ante Zizic figures to be an important component of Cleveland’s rebuild, if it ever officially gets underway. But even if the Cavs decide to push for a playoff spot this season, Zizic should still see the court much more often than he did last year. There aren’t many convincing reasons to play Tristan Thompson over Zizic and Nance, so hopefully head coach Ty Lue will make the correct decision.
Zizic needs playing time to develop his raw talent into results. Cleveland can now afford to give him that time, and if they do, they will be rewarded with an efficient and consistent scorer at the center position, something they haven’t had since Zydrunas Ilgauskas was in his prime.
Zizic’s nickname is “Big Z”, and it’s easy to see why he was given it. He may never be on the same level as Ilgauskas, but he doesn’t need to be. All he needs to be is a good, young player, and that’s exactly what he is.