A 7 ft, 300 Lbs Menace Is About to Hit the NBA — Why 18-Year-Old Peyton Marshall Can Be USA’s Own Nikola Jokic

18-year-old Peyton Marshall is making a lot of noise in the world of basketball. From creating highlight reels so early in his career to giving hope for a better NBA future, the Marietta, Georgia native seems to have everything under his control. Marshall is even being dubbed as the USA’s Nikola Jokic. Similar to the Joker, the Overtime Elite star is also showing signs of being a dominant all-around center, and his block against RWE’s Daquan Davis is a testament to it. But can Marshall reach the level of the Serbian superstar?

It might be too early to be absolutely sure about this question, but athletes, especially youngsters, are often judged by their potential. On that metric alone, Marshall seems to be the perfect candidate to be the next Nikola Jokic. The 7-foot center possesses some incredible skills as a passer. He is widely regarded as the best passer of his class, irrespective of size.

Jokic, on the other hand, has had the title of one of the greatest passing big men of all time for years. A case can be made that he is the absolute best at it as well, and many people would agree with that narrative. In addition to their build and passing abilities, Marshall is also being considered as one of the best finishers of his age.

He announced himself to the basketball world after ruthlessly blocking RWE’s Daquan Davis. The 300-pound center not only snatched the ball from him but also sent Davis to the floor. Just to top it all off, while Davis was still on the floor, comprehending what had just happened, Marshall added another layer of disrespect by throwing the ball at him.

Marshall currently plays for the Cold Hearts in the OTE league. The Cold Hearts describe themself as: “Cold Hearts is more than just an attitude, a chant at a game or being relentless in the pursuit of greatness. It’s about having ice in your veins. The readiness to take the last-second shot with the entire season on the line. It’s about freezing your opponent with every move.” Going by the way Marshall is shaping up as an athlete, safe to say he lives up to the description.

Furthermore, Marshall has committed to the Missouri Tigers, signing his National Letter of Intent in November. Tigers Head Coach Dennis Gates said, “Peyton is a dominant interior presence who is a great finisher and has tremendous touch around the rim. He is also a physical player and does a good job of drawing contact and capitalizing from the free-throw line. Perhaps most impressively, however, Peyton is the best passer in the 2024 class, regardless of position and school. His court vision and his ability to quarterback the team for his size is unmatched.” Rightfully, Marshall is currently ranked among the top 10 centers in the nation.

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Peyton Marshall to break the International Dominance?

The comparisons with Nikola Jokic stem from the fact that his athleticism is very similar to what hoop fans have seen from the Denver Nuggets star. Additionally, Jokic has been the best player in the league for a while, has led his team to a successful title run, and continues to be a formidable force in the league. As of now, the USA doesn’t have a homegrown player of that caliber and they are in dire need of a player like that.

Currently, most of the players who will be considered among the best in the league are non-Americans. Jokic, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are among those elite players. Whether Marshall will be able to live up to the expectation, only time will tell. For now, he seems like a good enough bet for the country.

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