The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 50-41

43. Sergey Karasev, SG, Zenit St. Petersburg

Karasev, the 19th overall pick in 2013, was somewhat forgotten after a very poor rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was traded to the Nets in 2014, and somewhat flamed out of the league after a two-year stint there. In Russia, however, he’s started to blossom into the type of player who many thought he could become when he made the 2012 Russian Olympic team. Playing for his father at Zenit, he bloomed, averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game and helping the team to the Eurocup Quarterfinals.

Karasev isn’t perfect, but he’s still pretty exciting to watch. He can create his own shot effectively at every level, and he’s a strong enough passer that he creates a major mismatch in the VTB League as a 6-foot-6 lead guard. He hijacks the offense at times, and he’s pretty useless defensively still, so he needs to be compensated for. But last year proved that he can be the leading scorer on a pretty decent team, and Zenit should be much better this year after some high-profile signings. Karasev is still just 23-years-old, and if he takes another step forward this year, Zenit might be the Eurocup favorites.