"Trade Ivica Zubac to Warriors": Fans Erupt After Kawhi Leonard Leads Clippers to 5th Straight Win as Inspirational Surge Continues

The LA Clippers closed out the calendar year on a strong note, securing a five-game winning streak after Tuesday night’s dominant win over the Sacramento Kings. Kawhi Leonard and co. blowing out their division rivals 131-90 resulted in plenty of conversation among fans, with many surprisingly calling on the front office to move on from Ivica Zubac.

Zubac suffered an ankle injury early in the Dec. 20 matchup against the LA Lakers and has been sidelined ever since. Despite losing their starting center, the Clippers have not been struggling. In fact, they went undefeated during the stretch without him.

That success has led some fans to believe the team may actually be better off without Zubac in the lineup.

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“Trade zubac to the warriors yall clearly don’t need him,” @Lefty9e said. “Im telling you, something changed when Zubac got injured. They have been playing insanely good since,” @ShakeMiltonStan wrote. “I can’t believe Zubac went out and we’re legit a good team. like everything is clicking on both ends,” @FeelLikeDrew said. “Zubac def has some soul searching to do.. It's def immature to take his name.. but u cant disregard it either.. team has looked lifeless more times than not this yr when he was out there,” @BeardinGoat said. “Look how much spacing Collins has without Zubac in the floor. Look how easily harden gets to the rim. Is yall blind?!” @KobeSandersFC said. “Get Zubac off my team for good man,” @ClampCity2020 wrote.

With Ivica Zubac sidelined, Brook Lopez has stepped in as the starting center. Alongside Kawhi Leonard and John Collins, the frontcourt trio is putting up 52.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. This production is significantly better than what the Clippers were getting when Zubac was in the lineup.

Kawhi Leonard wins honor ahead of Clippers clash against Kings

No player has had a bigger impact on the Clippers’ recent surge than Kawhi Leonard. The forward looks fully healthy, with most of the offense running through him as a result.

The league rewarded Leonard’s dominant stretch with the Western Conference Player of the Week for Week #10.

Across three games, Leonard averaged 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. During this stretch, he led the Clippers to wins against the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Detroit Pistons, with LA winning those games by an average differential of 13.0 points per game.

The recognition seemed to boost Kawhi Leonard’s morale. On Tuesday, he followed it up with another strong display, finishing with 33 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the Clippers’ 41-point win over the Kings.

Edited by Advait Jajodia