Los Angeles Clippers: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

2. Boban unleashed

Heading into the game, it seemed unlikely that Boban Marjanovic would receive more than spot minutes.

Despite his size, his impact on the defensive end throughout his career has been limited by his slow foot speed. This has resulted in teams typically only going to him for spot minutes or garbage time appearances.

However against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, Marjanovic was able to have a dramatic impact with 18 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes. He was a +7 in his minutes and was even successful when Doc Rivers went really big and played Montrezl Harrell alongside him.

The highlight of his night came when he dunked without leaving his feet and offset the backboard. The game was delayed as a result of this play due to the basket needing to be re-aligned. In a league where we’ve seen crazy displays of size and athleticism, Marjanovic still feels like a crazy outlier that gives us something we haven’t seen before.

Realistically, Marjanovic will likely remain a situational player for the Clippers. However his ability to make an impact against other teams when they go big could be a very valuable weapon off the bench. On certain nights he may not get an opportunity, but it would be a mistake for Doc Rivers to not try and take advantage of what he can bring whenever the situation calls for it.