Bye bye Bobi’s World
I write this with heavy hand and heavier heart. I’ve written a few farewell pieces over the last couple weeks, but this one hurts the most. I still don’t want to believe it’s going to happen, but I know I’m fooling myself.
Boban Marjanovic’s days as a Philadelphia 76er are formally over.
It honestly doesn’t even feel real. It’s more like a lucid dream. As quickly as he came into my life, he’s already leaving. Things were going well for a while too, but eventually, the truth was obvious.
Boban was solid in the regular season and even in the opening round of the playoffs. But as soon as the Sixers went across the northern border, he became unplayable, which is ironic considering giants thrive in the north.
Against the Raptor’s more athletic, floor spacing bigs, Marjanovic was helpless. Anytime he was on the court, the Raptors would go straight at him. Boban was -10 in just two minutes off the bench in game six, which goes to show why he played fewer than six minutes a game in the series against Toronto.
Boban can be a great player in the right situation, but unfortunately, the right situation isn’t in Philly. The Sixers need a backup big who can switch and stretch the floor and that just ain’t Bobi. Some nice team is gonna come along, looking for rebounding and easy points around the net, and they’re going to give Boban a new home. It feels gross to think about, but I’m just gonna have to learn to be ok with it.
On the bright side, we’ll always have the memories. Like the time he lit the Heat up for 19 and 12 while Joel Embiid was hurt or the time he made cheese steaks with Tobias Harris or the time he fell down and nearly scared us all to death. There’s also the fact he’s higher on the Sixers’ all-time three pointers list than Ben Simmons, which should be acknowledged as often as possible.
Bobi’s time in Philly was as memorable as it was brief. Saying goodbye makes my heart feel like Boban after John Wick force-fed him a book. I’d love to see him stay, but it’s clear the Sixers need something else in ways of a backup center. It hurts now, but I know it’ll get better in time.
Besides, if I can learn to get over Markelle Fultz, I can learn to get over anything.
