Boban Marjanovic is known around the league as the gentle giant and one of, if not the most loved NBA player. Marjanovic is the second tallest NBA player in the league, standing at 7’ 4”. He doesn’t get much playing time due to his lack of stamina, however when he is on the court he has shown he can make an impact.

Marjanovic began his professional career in Europe, playing in the EuroCup and EuroLeague. During his time overseas Marjanovic played 18.1 minutes per game (MPG). He was able to average 9.7 points per game (PPG), 6.2 rebounds per game (RPG), and 0.7 assists per game (APG). His per 36 minutes stats were 19.4 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG. 

During his final and best season in the Euroleague, the 2014-2015 season, Marjanovic had 23 games, all but one, where he scored in double digits. He had 16 games where he recorded a double-double. The most points he scored that season was 27, while the most rebounds he grabbed was 17.

Marjanovic has been in the NBA for 7 seasons. Throughout Marjanovic’s NBA career he has spent an average of 9.4 minutes on the court. During that time he’s averaged 6.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, and 0.3 BPG. His per 36 minute stats however are an astounding 23.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.3 BPG.

During Marjanovic’s time in the NBA he’s had some high performing impactful games, where he’s scored over 20 points or grabbed a double-double. His best game ever came as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. On March 11, 2020 Marjanovic had his highest-scoring game, scoring 31 points. He also grabbed 17 boards in that same game, recording a double-double. Along with that, he also recorded his highest game score, 29.4. That game is known for being the final NBA game played before all sports got suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but some people forget that it was also Marjanovic’s best game of his career.

Marjanovic has shown when given the opportunity, he can shine. The two things holding him back are his stamina and his personality. Due to him being such a tall human being, he doesn’t have the stamina needed to stay on the court a long time, so it is hard to start him or leave him on the court for an extended period of time. When it comes to his personality, Marjanovic is one of, if not the nicest human beings in all of the NBA, which is great except when it comes to his aggressiveness on the court. Marjanovic doesn’t play aggressively, which has cost him some rebounds. At times, players smaller than him have been able to out-rebound him due to his style of play. If Marjanovic could build up some stamina and separate his bright personality from his style of play, he could become a dominant center, something the Mavericks need right now.

Boban can be an impactful player when needed. Coach Kidd has thrown him in at the end of close games, knowing his size and long wingspan will make it a huge challenge for opponents to score or even to throw the ball in. Marjanovic has also shown sparks of what he can do on both sides of the court to dominate. If he can fix his two main weaknesses, he’s a player that would be almost impossible to stop. Even if Marjanovic still has his flaws, he is able to make a big impact on games in small spurts.

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