NBA Draft: Rockets' Boban Marjanovic Compared to March Madness Star
By Jeremy Brener
Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic is not the best player in the NBA, but he's made a great career for himself as a consummate teammate and leader.
His 7-4 stature is intimidating, but his usage in the league is limited in the very fast NBA. That's why HoopsHype compared Marjanovic to Purdue center Zach Edey, one of the top center prospects in this year's NBA Draft.
“People are talking about Edey going in the first round and I’m asking myself if we’re really talking about a situational big man in the first round?” an NBA scout said via HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. “Is he going to be a starter? No. Is he going to be a backup every night? Probably not. He’s Boban Marjanovic in my opinion.”
Edey has excelled in the college game as the tallest player on the floor nearly every time he steps out. He's a rebounding machine and he's defensively very sound with no defensive three second calls to ding him. In the NBA, that part of his game will have to change, leading scouts to question how effective he'll be at the next level.
While being compared to Marjanovic certainly isn't a dig, it would make him a second-round prospect at best. Perhaps Edey could improve his offensive game and find ways to be an effective perimeter defender, but teams may not feel ready to develop a 22-year old center in the G League for very long.