Pacers' Ivica Zubac Named 65th Best Player in NBA This Season

After an extremely lackluster season a year ago, the Indiana Pacers will be entering into the new NBA season ready to get back to their standards.

Indiana won just 19 games last season, seeing the team miss the playoffs entirely. But much of this had to do with star guard Tyrese Haliburton missing the year due to him recovering from a torn Achilles.

Haliburton is now back, ready to help the Pacers get back to being a true contender in the Eastern Conference this year. When Haliburton last played, Indiana came within one win of claiming the NBA title, but his injury set this franchise back last season.

Next to Haliburton is a strong collection of talent, giving the Pacers a legitimate chance to win this year. One of the bigger changes to the roster since Haliburton last played was the team landing star big man Ivica Zubac to man the middle.

Zubac was acquired last year at the trade deadline to be the team's center of the future, and he will now be tasked with helping this group. The big man is a strong rebounder, and he should be able to land good shot attempts playing next to Haliburton.

Bleacher Report's NBA staff put together a list of the top 99 players in the league coming into the new season. Within this, Zubac has landed on the list, coming in ranked at No. 65 for the upcoming year.

The big question around Zubac entering the season will be how he will fare in the team's run and fun offensive scheme. When the Pacers were at their best with Haliburton, they played with pace, running opposing teams off the court.

Zubac is going to have to change his game a little bit to fit into this system, which could take some time for him. But Indiana may also work around his game, potentially slowing things down a little for the big man.

If Zubac can fit into the mold of the team, the sky is the limit for Indiana this year, especially with Haliburton returning. Zubac offers the team more of an inside presence than they've had in the past, and he could end up being one of the bigger X-Factors for this team this season.

Indiana has a goal of winning the NBA title this year, and Zubac will be a big piece to that plan. The big man is here to help, and whatever the Pacers need from him, he will be willing to take on.