The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 20-11

DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 22: Pierre Jackson #55 of the Dallas Mavericks takes a shot against Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on January 22, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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17. Pierre Jackson, PG, Maccabi Tel Aviv

The third Maccabi player in four spots, Jackson is ahead of Cole and Bolden because we know better what he is, and that he’s definitely going to be an entertaining Euroleague player. Jackson was too small for the NBA, but his shot-making ability is real, and in a two-game stint in Europe last season with Cedevita, he destroyed everything. It earned him a contract with the Mavericks, and while that didn’t really work out, it proved that he’s a player who should be a dynamite scorer for Maccabi this season.

The interesting thing to watch is that players like Jackson have come through Maccabi in the past couple of seasons and really struggled. Andrew Goudelock and Sonny Weems, both high-level scorers in the past, struggled. Can Jackson break the trend? He definitely will be able to get his own numbers, but can he do so in a context that benefits the team? That’s the yearly question for Maccabi’s band of score-first perimeter players, and Pierre is probably going to be the leading question mark.

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