The Euroleague's 50 best players: 40-31

The Euroleague’s 50 best players: 40-31

ANTHONY RANDOLPH of Real Madrid during the Turkish Airlines Euroleague play-off quarter final series third match between Real Madrid and Panathinaikos Superfoods at the Wizink Center in Madrid, Spain on April 25, 2018 (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /

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Janis Timma and Victor Claver during the match between FC Barcelona and Baskonia corresponding to the semifinals of the Liga Endesa, on 08th June, 2018, in Barcelona, Spain.— (Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /

40. Janis Timma, PF, Olympiacos

Nationality/College: Latvian

2017-18 stats: 7.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game (Baskonia)

Career synopsis: Timma was selected with the last pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, who he spent Summer League with in 2014 and 2015. His rights were then traded to Orlando for Luke Ridnour, and the Magic still retain those rights. Since that trade, Timma’s blossomed, growing from development at Ventspils to effective stretch four for Zenit St. Petersburg and most recently, Baskonia in Euroleague. Now he starts his second season in Euroleague with Olympiacos.

Representative Highlight Play:

What’s his skill set?: Timma is a classic Euroleague combo forward – -a player with the size of a 3 who is strong enough to duck down into the post and provide lineup flexibility and punish mismatches. His percentages don’t match some of the other sharpshooters on this list, but Timma is a volume 3-point shooter primarily, and he hit 37.6 percent from deep last year. He also took a leap defensively last season, showing that he has the quickness and discipline to stay with wings on the perimeter more consistently.

What makes him special?: Timma, along with the Bertans brothers, is one of the first members of the Latvian golden generation that includes Kristaps Porzingis, Anzejs Pasecniks, and Rodions Kurucs as well. He’s found his niche in Europe as a swing forward capable of spacing the floor and letting his team play small-ball thanks to his rebounding ability. What will make this season particularly interesting for him is his fit at Olympiacos, under new management with David Blatt. Any NBA fan will remember the challenges Blatt had in the locker room — Timma presents a new one, as his volatile personality could clash with the team’s fiery veteran leadership. He’ll also have to beat out Kostas Papanikolaou for a starting job, which is no small task. Timma is the X-factor for determining what the ceiling is this year in Pireaus.

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