The playoffs run through Bobi’s World
After the 76ers’ dismal 111-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, things looked bleak, and that’s putting it lightly. The fans were upset with the players, the players were upset with the fans, and almost every aspect of this team and their future came into question.
But God damn, what a difference a game makes.
The Sixers managed to completely flip things on the Nets like the Mountain did Oberyn Martell. The major difference, of course, being the fact the Sixers are still alive and kicking after their historic 145-123 win in game two, and won’t eventually be turned into giant zombie knights.
(Quick side note: Who would win in a fight, the Mountain or Boban? My guess is it’d end in a draw and they both hug it out.)
The star of the game was none other than the star of John Wick 3 – Parabellum, Boban Marjanovic. In 18 minutes off the bench, the Serbian seven footer scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and stole the hearts of two fans sitting courtside.
Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson are just here to watch Boban cook 😤 pic.twitter.com/gZj7w96zTs
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 16, 2019
Anytime he touched the court, Bobi was one of the most exciting players on the floor. Flashing his trademark gargantuan size as well as a blossoming mid range game, Boban electrified a ravenous Wells Fargo crowd. The best part about Bobi’s big game is that it kept Embiid on the bench.
Heading into the playoffs, there were some serious concerns over Boban’s ability to spell Embiid. His lack of lateral speed and agility seemed like an obvious mismatch against quicker, more athletic bigs, but I’m not sure Jarret Allen has realized it yet. Through two games this postseason, Boban is averaging 30.7 points, 11.6 total rebounds, 5.3 assists, and two blocks per 36 minutes while 62% shooting. He has also posted a 127.4 ORtg, which is identical to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s this postseason.
Boban’s play this postseason has been one of the most exciting developments for the Sixers. Considering the team brought in Greg Monroe at the very end of the season as a just-in-case measure, they didn’t seem to have much confidence in the guys backing up Embiid. Bobi has since proven himself as Embiid’s backup and seems trustworthy enough to handle a portion of Embiid’s minutes while he rests his knee.
If the Sixers want to go on a long playoff run, they’ll need a healthy Joel Embiid. The best way to ensure that is to get him as much rest as possible during the opening round of the playoffs. Honestly, if Boban can continue to play as well as he has, I wouldn’t be opposed to tossing him a start, while Embiid comes off the bench in order to better manage his minutes.
Boban has played exceedingly well to start the postseason, but the question remains, how long is it going to last? The Sixers need to take advantage of Boban’s quality play while they can because I don’t think they’re going to get the chance later in the playoffs. The Sixers will probably run into the likes of Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol in the second round of the playoffs and if Embiid isn’t healthy yet, that’s going to be bad news bears for Boban.
The Sixers top priority right now, outside of winning playoff games, needs to be Embiid’s health. The best way to ensure Joel can play later is to have him play as few minutes as possible now. Boban is giving the Sixers starter quality minutes and they need to take advantage of it as much as possible. As of right now, Bobi is one of the most important keys to a long Sixers playoff run. Help us Bobi Wan, you’re our only hope!
*Bonus Bobi*
Clutch Points recently posted an article explaining the origin of the Bobi-Tobi best friendship. This excerpt from the article explains what initially sparked the greatest friendship in human history:
“It really started through music,” said Harris during a Twitter Q&A. “I would come in the weight room and play 50 Cent, Jay Z, Nas, and he’d be like, ‘Who is this?’ And I would explain it to him and he would bump his head and be like, ‘I like this.’”
Two trades and a whole lot of memories later, Tobias and Boban are the official couple of the NBA and spread the joy of friendship everywhere they go. Including, Dalessandros’ Steaks.
