BOBI!!!: All things Boban

[Mavsfan12]

I'm just going to say it again for the record:

Boban is NOT the defensive liability people make him out to be.

His defensive toolbox is not full.  Despite being tall, (and long), he doesn't block shots.  He doesn't posses quickness - lateral or otherwise.  He is bad in the pick/roll and wouldn't be considered a good close-out defender.  Those are severe deficiencies in a player's defensive game.  

He does take up space and is an imposing figure at the rim - especially when paired with an actual shot blocker.  He also clogs the paint with his size - limiting movement through the paint and is a dominant rebounder - individual and team.  

Again, if he is a 30 minute player, you are going to be complaining about his D.  He is going to get game planned and exposed.  He is a talented matchup player.  Celebrate that.  I love the dude... but there is a reason he was available below room exception.  Doesn't mean he can't be a difference maker!  

The preseason game that gave me the most hope for him was against the Bucks.  I thought he played a solid game against a 4-out team.  Like you mentioned above, in that game, when he was in, they went to work WITH him.  A lot of Luka/Bobi pick/rolls.  So that is certainly part of the equation.  It will be part of the fun this season seeing how his role develops, for sure!  This team is so fun and has so many different possible storylines.  Going to be amazing!

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I just went back and watched that game again, (thanks youtube tv and your beautiful unlimited dvr!), and Boban's success came against Robin Lopez.  When they took him out and went back to one non-shooter (Giannis), the advantage was quickly over.  But yeah, he dominated sideshow bob.  The next time they put him in, they took Lopez out for Bender and he chased him from the game. 

This is similar to the advantage he enjoyed against Cle the other night.  He is going to crush the R. Lopez/T. Thompson's of the NBA.  Funny he didn't get run against NO and Favors/Okafor.  Seems like that is his kind of matchup.  Will look for that next time.

Nice Bobi analysis.  

I'm interested in those cases where the match ups don't necessarily favor Boban.  The favorable match ups are a no brainer and make it clear why the Mavericks went out and  got Boban.   I think as Doc Rivers pointed out the tough Boban match ups could actually flip either way on any given rotation  just depending on how much the coach takes advantage of Boban and minimizes the defensive issues.   

This is a player that comes in and often scores and rebounds at an insane, Shaquille O'Neal like pace for his minutes on the floor.
If he's not scoring directly he's often collapsing the interior defenders so much that space opens up all over for the Luka's and KP's and Seth Curry's of the world.  

He's doing a better job in recent years of coming out to the 3 point line and challenging the stretch BIGS that are sent in to chase him off the floor.  So the question is, can you take more than you're giving up in those situations?   Its some risk yes, the opposing player or PnR combo might get hot shooting but as Doc said that's no guarantee that they do in Bobi's minutes. 

So I wish the coach would take it case by case, situation by situation and keep a rope ready to quickly pull Marjonovic if the it seems to be going south fast in those cases where its mismatch defense vs mismatch offense.   
This is particularly true imo when your team has the lead and the other team MUST get stops to catch you. 
Over the long stretch of a game, you can't give much defensively, hence Bobi's exposure time has to be limited.  

Sometimes however, over a short stretch, especially 4th quarters or during a comeback against you, you just need to keep scoring, even a few buckets, to secure a win.

I think RC rolled Bobi out there against ORL last night in what I would think was a non optimal situation, (Vuc/Gordon/Aminu), found it wasn't beneficial, and pulled him quickly.  I think that was the right decision as ORL went right to a pick/pop with Gordon (scored), followed by a vuc 3 attempt (missed), and then subbed for their mobile big and proceeded to run pick/rolls with him (foul) Decided to go the other direction later and inserted JJ, who made a big impact at the end of the 2Q.  Boban did not make another appearance.  

I want to add that while they did use Boban for a couple of screens (one that he was called for a foul on), and did try to get it inside to him on a couple of occasions (both turnovers), they never made a play inside while he was in there.

These are early data points, but they seem to suggest that he will not be used against mobile/perimeter bigs because of a lack of effectiveness.