Los Angeles Clippers: Boban Marajanovic’s success is expected, but not sustainable

It’s only been three games, but Boban Marjanovic is thriving in the minutes he’s given for the Los Angeles Clippers. While most Clippers fans are well aware of what Marjanovic can do, his success likely won’t be sustainable long-term.

Boban Marjanovic has become a fan favorite for whatever team he’s been apart of throughout his short four-year career and the Los Angeles Clippers are certainly no exception. While Clippers fans will always enjoy watching him play because of the fact that he’s virtually untouchable offensively or that he can dunk without jumping, it’s not too likely he’ll be getting consistent minutes throughout the season.

While the 7’3″ giant is as efficient as it gets offensively, he’s simply unable to defend anyone outside of the paint and this has limited his minutes with all three of the teams he’s played for. In other words, expect some noteworthy games from him this season, but not too many.

Recent success

In his first two games of the regular season, Marjanovic averaged an impressive 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in just 17 minutes per contest on 71.4 percent shooting from the field.

While he only played five minutes in the team’s most recent win over the Houston Rockets, he tallied 18 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes against the Denver Nuggets in the season opener and 13 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder the game after.

Furthermore, he shot an efficient 6-for-8 from the field in the first game and 4-for-6 in the second. The sample size is small, but it serves to show what Boban Marjanovic offers to any team willing to give him a chance: the ability to score at will down low and grab rebounds.

This is nothing new either. Marjanovic was given 15 or more minutes in just three games last season but managed to produce in all three. In 21 minutes against the Miami Heat, he put up 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. In 15 minutes against the Nuggets, he recorded a season-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, two steals and one block. Lastly, in 15 minutes against the Utah Jazz, he put up nine points and four boards.

When given enough time, he’s going to score efficiently and effectively, and can provide a lot of second chance opportunities. However, the amount of instances where he was given “enough time” is alarmingly low. This is because he’s seen as a liability on the defensive end virtually anywhere outside of the paint.

Long-term outlook

In all three of the games mentioned above, Marjanovic was tasked with guarding big men that are on the slower side or don’t stretch beyond the paint. He matched up with guys like Steven Adams and Hassan Whiteside, so he didn’t have to worry about being sucked out of the paint to stop a 3-point shot on the perimeter.

Nikola Jokic can definitely stretch the floor, but he’s not extremely athletic so Marjanovic had at least some chance of recovering off of pick-and-pop situations. Even if he isn’t guarding the opposing team’s starting big man, backups like Mason Plumlee or Bam Adebayo also aren’t necessarily known for their ability to stretch the floor either.

The two of the three games he’s played in this season were against two of those same exact teams. The recent win over the Rockets saw Marjanovic play just five minutes as the Clippers needed the defensive prowess and hustle of Montrezl Harrell, who posted a solid 17 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.

The 7’3″ offensive juggernaut definitely has his uses, but he’s extremely situational and the matchups must favor the Clippers.  More and more big men are finding their shot from beyond the arc, and this is certainly alarming for a player like Marjanovic.

The reality

Quite frankly, this isn’t a huge issue whatsoever. Boban Marjanovic can come into a game whenever offense is needed and a high-level defender like the aforementioned Harrell can fill in if he’s having trouble defensively. Most Clippers fans generally understand his situation and are grateful for whatever they can get from him on the enjoyable nights where he goes off.

Enjoy the solid play right now and know that games like these can happen any night, but also keep in mind that he shouldn’t be relied on too heavily long-term.