The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 10-1

9. Nicolo Melli, PF, Fenerbahce

Melli, meanwhile, will help address the offensive concerns that come from losing Udoh. Udoh was a brilliant passer out of post-up looks, and that added a dimension of ball movement that isn’t easily replaceable. Melli, who comes from Brose Bamberg in Germany, will help that. He might be Euroleague’s best frontcourt passer, averaging 2.3 assists per game in Euroleague play last season, and he can replicate those high elbow postup sets that were so vital to Fenerbahce’s attack last year. He also adds shooting, as a 40.4 percent shooter off of mostly pick-and-pop sets, and will create the pick-and-pop looks with Kostas Sloukas and Marko Guduric that were missing from this offense last season.

Melli doesn’t have to be the guy for Fenerbahce, and he’s shown great ability as a guy who fills a specific role at Bamberg. He will spread the floor to allow Vesely to make runs at the rim, and his potential as a small-ball five next to Kalinic means that Fenerbahce could go to an absolutely terrifying five-out set. Melli’s skills as a rebounder, passer, and shooter should transform an elite offense into something even more interesting, and that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.