The centers with such static body conditions before him were Oden, Tabit, and Embiid. In the rookie portraits provided by Sports Illustrated before the draft, Zubac was evaluated as, if you went back 5 years, Zubac would have been a lottery pick. It's just that times have changed, and his style of play is no longer suitable to be the core inside player in the NBA.
However, there are advantages to being a low pick at the end of the first round. Because of this position, Zubac was very proactive in developing towards being a role player from the start, focusing on playing simple ball. He doesn't have the same court status as the big centers of the past, but he doesn't have to do more, quickly becoming the main rotation center on a championship-contending team. With his style of relying on height, wingspan, touch, and basketball IQ, he's just turned 20, and who knows, he might secure two or three long-term contracts worth tens of millions for a small US dollar target in the future.
