ISTANBUL (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Amid giants, Boban Marjanovic stands out on a basketball court. At 7 ft 3in (2.22m), it's impossible to overlook him. In the upcoming Final against undefeated Slovenia, Marjanovic's notable height advantage looms as an edge for Serbia, who will start as underdogs.

A slick Slovenia deserve their favoritism tag after a brilliant campaign, which memorably peaked in the second-half of the Semi-Final against defending champions Spain. With stars Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic playmaking to perfection, combined with hot perimeter shooting and high energy from their bigs, it was an almost flawless performance by Slovenia.

Standing 4.3 in (11cm) taller than Slovenian bigs Anthony Randolph and Gasper Vidmar, Marjanovic has the potential to dominate inside and should create headaches for his opponents. Coming off the bench, Marjanovic is averaging 13.3 points - at 59 percent from the field - and 5 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per game. His great height combined with a sweet touch that has surprising range makes him almost unstoppable offensively.

Against Russia in the Semi-Final, Marjanovic was a force during Serbia's pivotal 14-0 run in the second quarter as he combined brilliantly with star guard Bogdan Bogdanovic in a deadly one-two punch. In just 20 minutes of action, he scored 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to also showcase his adept passing for a big man. In a key match-up, the Detroit Pistons player proved too much for opposite number Timofey Mozgov, a fellow NBA center.

While he's undoubtedly an offensive beast, Marjanovic's pitfalls rest with foul trouble -averaging 2.8 per game - and liabilities on defense which often force Serbia coach Aleksandar Djordjevic to have to pull him out during crunch time.

In what looms as a major subplot of the Final, Slovenia are likely to play Randolph for long stretches at center to make Marjanovic defend him on the perimeter and well out of his comfort zone. It looms as a tough match-up for Marjanovic with Randolph finding his rhythm after a difficult start to the tournament. Randolph is averaging 12 points per game, highlighted by an impressive 45 percent from three, and has the athleticism to blow by defenders who guard him too closely.

Without several superstars, some critics wrote off Serbia's chances but they have defied those predictions to reach a third Final in major championships, following losses to the USA at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 and 2016 Olympics.

Marjanovic was not part of those campaigns but is hoping the team can go one step better. He says Serbia have had extra motivation at FIBA EuroBasket 2017. "People didn't expect us to be in the Final because we had some of our best players missing," he says. "But we believed and that is the most important thing for a team."

Having developed a cult following in the NBA, his affable personality makes him a lovable gentle giant. However, Marjanovic has a fire within to claim a title for Serbia, who were last in the FIBA EuroBasket Final in 2009 -  the then 21-year-old had a small role on the team back then.  

"It means a lot to me to win a title," he says. "That is what we're here for and we 100 percent want to win. It would be amazing for our team and country."

Serbia's best hopes of an upset rests with Marjanovic and Bogdanovic dominating as they did during that memorable second-quarter burst against Russia in the Semi-Final. With that lethal inside-outside combination rolling, Serbia can score at will when their two stars are simultaneously firing.

Marjanovic says he enjoys playing with Serbia's shooting guard. "He's a great teammate and we work well together," he says. "He's very important and a great player, who has given us everything on the court."

Against a red-hot Slovenia, Marjanovic is fully aware of the challenge awaiting Serbia. "We must play focused and stop (Goran) Dragic and (Luka) Doncic," he says. "I think we can win but if we want to beat Slovenia we have to play harder. They are hard to play against...you need a lot of energy. We need to play as a team. We have a great opportunity ahead of us."

FIBA