Game Breakdown
Offense
Boban Marjanovic’s offensive game is something everyone who has played organized basketball is familiar with. Simply put, it equates to “throw the ball to the tall kid and let him score”.
As simple as that sounds, it is extremely efficient. In fact, if he had enough mintues to qualify, Boban Player Efficiency Rating of 27.7 would have him solidly at second best all-time behind only Michael Jordan.
He only has career averages of 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.4 blocks, but take a look at his Per 36 numbers. They are flat out astounding. Per 36 minutes, he averages 22.9 points, 14.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks.
Alas, 36 minutes is not sustainable for the big man. We wrote on this back in April and it still holds true. FiveThirtyEight also goes into detail in this article from back when Boban was in Detroit. It hinges on one thing in particular- his defense.
Defense
This is where Boban can harm the team. While he is 7’3 and does bother players shots and snag rebounds, it is his lateral quickness that makes him tough to play.
Once Boban is on the court, teams often try and involve him in the pick and roll. Once he gets switched onto a smaller defender, he has a hard time keeping up. He is also at a disadvantage against big men who have a quick first step, such as Karl-Anthony Towns.
Despite these issues, he does barely have a positive defensive box plus/minus of 0.1 for his career. Boban won’t kill you on defense if he is put in for short bursts, but as he tires out, his defensive already limited capabilities drop.