What Boban Marjanovic has added to the Philadelphia 76ers
At the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers added several players to their bench . While they’ve only played in four games together coming off the bench, Boban Marjanovic gives the Sixers something they’ve been sorely missing: a good backup center.
When the Philadelphia 76ers started the 2018-19 season with a 105-87 loss to the Boston Celtics, their bench was outscored by 18, outrebounded by 21, and outassisted by two compared to the Celtics’ bench.
Through the first 58 games, the Sixers have shown the first Celtics game wasn’t a fluke. The Sixers’ bench was ranked 25th in points, 29th in rebounds, and 17th in assists per game. When the starters were added, the Sixers are ranked third in points, sixth in rebounds, and third in assists per game. In their 59th and 60th games, the Sixers’ new backup center Boban Marjanovic replaced injured All-Star center Joel Embiid in the starting lineup.
In the two games Marjanovic started since Embiid’s injury, he averaged 11.5 points, 2 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game. Comparing Marjanovic’s two games in the starting lineup to the two games the Sixers’ backup center for the past two seasons Amir Johnson started this season, the vast improvement in production becomes clear. Johnson averaged 1.0 point, 0.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and zero blocks per game, in his two starts this season.
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The Sixers’ 130-115 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers showed that Marjanovic can’t replace half of what Embiid brings to the team when tasked to play his role full-time, but Marjanovic and the other recently added players have helped the Sixers’ terrible bench. In the three games that Jonathon Simmons, Mike Scott, Marjanovic, and James Ennis played in and came off the bench, the Sixers’ rank increased to 23rd in points, 27th in rebounds, and 11th in assists.
At 7-foot-3 and 290 pounds, Marjanovic is averaged 7.0 points, 1.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game in the four games he came off the bench. Watching him play, he’s the ideal backup center. The sheer amount of space he occupies on both ends of the court helps his teammates, he’s one of the few players I have every seen be a good rebounder without attempting to jump, and as a 74.3 percent free throw shooter this season, he’s a player that can be fouled rolling to the basket and be expect to make the majority of his shots when he goes to the line.
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Marjanovic being the best backup center the Sixers have had in years shouldn’t keep any Sixers’ fan from hoping Embiid comes back from his injury soon, but the times Embiid is required to sit should be a little less painful going forward.