Boban Marjanovic Makes First Start With Clippers

Boban Marjanovic Makes First Start With Clippers

Boban Marjanovic started his first game with the Clippers on Friday against the Orlando Magic.

Last year, the Clippers used 37 different starters. This year, the team has a stronger foundation for its big men, with Marjanovic at the top, and it hasn’t been the most conventional journey for him.

In 2010, the 7-foot-3 Serbian native went undrafted and advanced his career playing overseas.

He started when he was 14, professionally playing on Serbian youth teams.

He was 6-foot-10.

Marjanovic Makes His U.S. Debut

In 2015, he officially made his way to the United States, playing for the San Antonio Spurs. On October 30th, he made his debut against the Brooklyn Nets, scoring only 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.

On Dec. 4^th, he was requested by the D-League Austin Spurs and then recalled by San Antonio two days later. The next day, he scored 18 points and was 8-of-10 shooting over the Philadelphia 76ers.

He was recalled again on March 20^th, coming back again, two days later, to score a career-high 22 points and 12 rebounds on the Dallas Mavericks.

His Spurs (San Antonio and Austin) career ended there when he became a restricted free agent and signed a 3-year $21-million contract with the Detroit Pistons.

The bouncing around paid off, literally.

He only played 76 minutes about half-way through the season with the Pistons but broke his career-high stats twice. Once, against the Hornets, while Andre Drummond was in foul trouble and Aron Baynes was injured. He put up 19 points in 15 minutes.

In April, he led the Pistons with 27 points and 12 rebounds over the Rockets.

The Trade To LA

In January 2018, he was traded.

The Clippers received Marjanovic, Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley while sending off Blake Griffin, Willie Reed, and Brice Johnson.

So far, it’s worked out very much in the Clipper’s favor.

Over the last five games, Marjanovic is scoring average is 71 percent. In the game against the Washington Wizards, he scored 13 points in 12 minutes.

In the next game against the 76ers, he set himself apart. He had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in a matter of 23 minutes played. While his counterparts, Marcin Gortat, played 9 minutes and had 4 fouls and Montrezl Harrell had 7 points in 15 minutes.

No wonder he earned a starting position.

On Friday, he posted another double-double with the Clippers, 10 points, and 11 rebounds, in 23 minutes. He did tweak his ankle against the 76ers, but he was able to still make an impact on the floor and help the Clippers secure a 120-95 win over the Magic.

With Harrell as his main back-up, who pulled down 12 rebounds and had 10 points against the Magic, the Clippers’ starting center position shouldn’t need to change 37 times this season.