Don’t Forget Cavs center Ante Zizic

When the news of Kyrie Irving’s trade to Boston broke, skeptical Cleveland Cavaliers fans reviewed the list of acquired assets and wondered how they might fit with the Wine and Gold. The deal was dubious at the time, and appears to have aged poorly since. Isaiah Thomas suffered through a faulty hip before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jae Crowder often looked lost on the court and now lives in Utah. The Brooklyn pick remains valuable, but the Nets have surpassed their admittedly meager expectations. There was, however, a final piece to the trade: a 6-foot-11 center named Ante Zizic. The big man has not seen much floor time in Cleveland, but he is still enjoying a productive year nonetheless.

The Boston Celtics drafted Ante “The Alphabet” (Get it? His name goes from A to Z) Zizic 23rd overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent the 2016-17 season with Darussafaka Dogus of the Turkish League. In 20 games he averaged 9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. He never suited up for the Celtics, and one could argue he has barely done so in Northeast Ohio. Zizic has appeared in 15 games for the Cavaliers (47 total minutes) in which he has averaged 1.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks. These numbers are effectively useless for evaluation since the big man has only entered a game when the outcome is completely certain. Luckiy for him, there is the G-League. Cleveland’s affiliate the Canton Charge serves as a refuge of sorts for the center, one where he can finally roam free.

Zizic has appeared in 16 games for the Charge, averaging 24.9 minutes per game. The Serb is averaging 16.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s hitting 58 percent from the field and 78 percent from the charity stripe. On February 21, Zizic enjoyed his best game stateside as he dropped 26 points and collected 13 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Blue. The center hit sky hooks, dunked, and maneuvered past defenders as the Blue had no answer for Zizic. One game does not make a career and there is a difference between the G-League and NBA, but there is no denying such a performance is encouraging.

By the time the season ends, The Alphabet will be able to drive I-77 with his eyes closed. The Cavaliers have either assigned Zizic to Canton or recalled him to Cleveland 13 different times. He played a meager 1:54 against the Grizzlies Friday night netting two points, a block, and a turnover. While benches don’t keep themselves warm and there is plenty one can learn from being in and around an NBA locker room, I cannot help but wonder if Zizic would be better served long term by simply remaining in Canton for the remainder of the season. The Charge have 10 games left and are unlikely to make the playoffs. He could ride out the string in Summit County before returning to the parent club for April and the Cavs postseason run.

Zizic turned 21 year old on January 4, so it’s important to consider his youth when evaluating his skills and future.  He is earning a modest $1,645,200 this season, is under contract through next season, and the Cavs have team options for 2019-20 and 2020-21. At the trade deadline, several Cavs fans expected general manager Koby Altman and owner Dan Gilbert to make a move for a rim protector, but there was no deal to be had. Could such a player be developing down the road? The Alphabet is by no means a sure thing, but if he can take play through the rest of the G-League season and shine in Summer League then perhaps next season he could work his way into potentially playing more significant minutes. Of course, if the front office can swing the Brooklyn pick for a different big man (perhaps with a unibrow?),¹ Zizic may have to give up his seat. Until then, let’s see what he can do in Canton.

1. For those that aren’t familiar, New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis is the one with the unibrow. [↩]