The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 30-21

22. Nikola Milutinov, C, Olympiacos

Khem Birch was a dark horse candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, and anchored Olympiacos’s always stout defense. The problem for the Greeks is he’s with the Magic now. In his stead, Nikola Milutinov has to step up.

Milutinov, a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Spurs, had spurts of solid play last season, but had some struggles with consistency and fouling under the basket. He came on late in the season, though, enough that the Spurs flirted with bringing him over.

This year, Milutinov has to take the next step. Olympiacos filled a lot of the holes they had last season, but Birch was the one player they didn’t compensate for. Milutinov, who has great tools but has struggled to be impactful as a rim protector, could potentially be the answer. He has great length, which he’s used well to become a stronger finisher around the rim, and his mobility should eventually translate to being useful covering for teammates at the rim. The problem is he just hasn’t started to put that together yet. If he does as he turns 23, it would be fantastic, for both him and Olympiacos. But if he doesn’t, there’s worry if he ever comes over to the NBA.

Finding out his future in this pivotal year is going to be fascinating.