Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic became the hero of the night during the Rockets' 116-105 win over the Clippers on the final day of the regular season. Marjanovic was one missed free throw away from guaranteeing the crowd free chicken and decided to intentionally miss it and then celebrate as fans in the Crypto.com arena went crazy.
Marjanovic has been a fringe rotational player for the Rockets, averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds this season. He's been on the roster for two seasons and is a widely beloved veteran on the roster.
Boban is an extremely popular figure around the NBA, holding the title of tallest player in the NBA for years before Tacko Fall entered the NBA and now Victor Wembanyama, as both stand at 7'4".
Clippers fans have cheered for Boban before, as he spent the 2018-19 season with the franchise. While he was not a heavy rotational player, he became a fan favorite for his sunny disposition and incredible size.
He has also played for the Spurs, Pistons, and Mavericks, still remembered fondly in Dallas by fans and players like Luka Doncic.
The Rockets Can Be Proud Of Their Season
The Houston Rockets were rooted to the bottom of the NBA for the last three seasons before they brought in Ime Udoka over the summer. Udoka transformed the team's focus from offense into defense, bolstered by signings such as Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. The team was hard to overcome for anyone in the NBA and ended the season with a 41-41 record.
Even though finishing .500 didn't result in a top-10 seed, the Rockets should be proud of the season they had. They're still an incomplete team on paper, waiting for many of their young stars to take the next step. Alperen Sengun did that this season and averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, establishing himself as an integral piece of the team's core.
Players such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason also appear to have bright futures on the franchise given their hard-nosed play style and developing offensive arsenals. Both players have also shown a willingness to play all across the front line, giving the Rockets a lot of versatility in today's switch-heavy NBA.
It seemed like Jalen Green would be the odd man out for the team, with his visible defensive shortcomings and limited offensive progression concerning fans. That was until Green averaged 27.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in March and led the team to a 13-2 record. The Rockets discussed trading Green away for Mikal Bridges over the winter, so it'll be interesting to see if Green's late-season push secured his future on the team.
The Rockets will be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery with a potential top-10 pick they received from the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade. Hopefully, they can add another piece and continue their ascension into the top tier of the West.
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