Sarunas Jasikevicius chose Marcus Bingham Jr. for Fenerbahce’s center position, and there is optimism in Istanbul that the Lithuanian coach has finally found the player who can solve the team’s problems in the paint.
The “5” position has developed into a rather… complicated (if not problematic) story for Fenerbahce over the past two seasons. The 2025 European champions have built teams with quality, depth and plenty of options across the other positions, but Sarunas Jasikevicius has not had a truly top-class center capable of making a difference around the basket.
Even in the 2024-2025 season, when Fenerbahce went all the way and won the EuroLeague in Abu Dhabi, the “5” was not exactly the team’s strongest position. Khem Birch, Sertac Sanli and Jilson Bango shared the minutes in the paint, with “Saras” finding solutions more through the overall functionality of his team than through the presence of a center who could consistently make the difference.
Things did not really change the following year. Fener finished the 2025-2026 season with Khem Birch, Armando Bacot and Chris Silva at center, and it was clear that the club would look for something different during the summer. Not necessarily a big man with a huge name and years of EuroLeague experience, but a player whose characteristics fit modern basketball and, above all, Jasikevicius’ philosophy.
After all, it is hardly a coincidence that Fenerbahce’s most reliable solution at the “5” over the past two seasons was… Nicolo Melli, whenever game circumstances required him to play as a center.
And that is how the Turkish champions eventually turned to Marcus Bingham Jr.
The American center, born in 2000 and standing at 2.13m, spent two years in Israel, playing for Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Holon and Hapoel Tel Aviv between 2023 and 2025. With the latter, he also won the EuroCup under Dimitris Itoudis before moving to UNICS Kazan for the 2025-2026 season, where he enjoyed his true breakout campaign.
Bingham averaged 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the VTB League, dramatically boosting his stock as UNICS made its way to the championship Finals. His excellent season in Russia brought him close to Maccabi Tel Aviv, but Fenerbahce eventually entered the race aggressively and secured his signature.
A mobile big man who can stretch the floor
What makes Bingham such an intriguing case is not only his production, but primarily the way he can impact a game. He is not the traditional, “heavy” 2.13m center who operates exclusively inside the paint. He is mobile, has quick feet and can comfortably follow the action well away from the basket.
At the same time, his shooting adds a completely different dimension offensively. Bingham can operate as a pick ’n pop big, stretch the floor from the “5” position and force the opposing center to leave the paint. For a coach like Jasikevicius, who places great emphasis on creating the right spaces and on the finer details of spacing, that ability carries significant value.
Importantly, he is not limited to popping after the screen. Bingham can also reliably finish pick ’n roll actions, roll aggressively towards the basket and use his length and athleticism to finish above the rim. That… dual threat gives the ball-handler — Wade Baldwin, Shane Larkin or Trent Forrest — more options while forcing the defense to account for multiple possibilities.
Moreover, his mobility and shooting create the potential for him to feature in lineups alongside another big man. Bingham has the characteristics to move between the “4” and “5” positions without… destroying the spacing of a lineup.
Length, blocks and switch defense
Just as important, however, is what happens on the… other end of the floor, an area Jasikevicius focuses heavily on anyway. Bingham possesses an impressive wingspan and can affect plays around the basket even when he does not actually record a block. In last season’s VTB League, he averaged 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, numbers that underline his defensive presence.
His length and timing make him an effective rim protector, but perhaps even more important for the Lithuanian coach is his versatility. The American is not a center who can only function in drop coverage. He can step higher in pick ’n roll defense, use his long arms to disrupt the ball-handler and, when necessary, switch onto smaller players.
His quick feet allow him to survive against guards on the perimeter for a few seconds without Fener feeling that every switch automatically creates a huge mismatch. Combined with his rim protection, this package gives Jasikevicius more options in terms of how he wants his defense to deal with opposing pick ’n roll actions.
Of course, the EuroLeague represents a different level, and Bingham will have to prove that he can… translate all of those qualities against stronger, more experienced and more physical centers.
Fenerbahce, however, have invested in an intriguing project: a modern big man with shooting, mobility, length and defensive versatility. A player who has… plenty to offer at the “5” and a skill set that clearly fits his coach’s basketball philosophy.
