SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Center Ivica Zubac is approaching his first game in a Pacers uniform after being acquired from the Clippers at the trade deadline, coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference on Tuesday.
Zubac has been held out since the trade due to a left ankle sprain suffered in December that Carlisle has said had not fully healed when Zubac returned to the floor for Los Angeles in January after missing just five games. The Pacers are not in playoff contention and are last in the East at 15-49, so Zubac has been encouraged to take his time to fully recover. However, Carlisle has said that from the beginning that it is important to get Zubac on the floor and he said that could happen soon.
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“A new opportunity is going to be Zubac playing some time soon,” Carlisle said. “He’s worked real hard. It’s been a better part of a month since the trade for him to work through the ankle thing, which was a lingering thing. That’s a positive thing. We get a chance to look at home, hopefully with some of our regular guys.”
Carlisle said the hope is to get him work quickly with All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who is out for Tuesday’s game with a left knee sprain suffered on Sunday against the Blazers. He said the Pacers could get imaging on the knee when they return to Indiana, but the hope is that it won’t be a long-term injury.
However, when pressed for exactly how soon Zubac could return, Carlisle demurred.
“Anyone have a definition of soon?” Carlisle asked. “We’re all in the NBA. There’s great possibilities looming all the time.”
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Zubac is averaging 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds this season after averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds last season when he was named second-team All-Defense. He was acquired with forward Kobe Brown in a deal that sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three draft picks to Los Angeles.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ivica Zubac injury update: Pacers C will play ‘soon;’ what we know