The Euroleague’s 50 best players: 20-11

20. Paulius Jankunas, PF, Zalgiris

Nationality/College: Lithuanian

2017-18 stats: 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.33 assists per game (Zalgiris)

Career synopsis: Outside of what could basically be considered a gap year with Khimki in 2010, Jankunas has been a member of Zalgiris since 2004. He arguably peaked last season at age 33, leading Zalgiris to their first Final Four and earning All-Euroleague 2nd team honors. He’s been a staple of the Lithuanian national team as well, peaking on the 2015 Eurobasket Silver medal team.

Representative Highlight Play:

What’s his skill set?: Jankunas lives in horns sets, where he’s forged a lengthy career diving to the rim off pick-and-rolls and creating on the elbow. He’s a gifted passer, mid-range shooter, and dribbler, but his real value has come with the transition to Sarunas Jasikevicius as his head coach, who has turned his ability to run side pick-and-roll into one of the most predictably effective plays in Euroleague.

What makes him special?: Jankunas has been a starter for Zalgiris for so long that he played with or against his current head coach for a decade. He’s one of those players who is just a machine — he rarely misses games, is going to give you between 8 and 12 points and between four and six rebounds a game, and is basically an assistant coach on the floor. He may not have many seasons left at this level, but to date, he’s been getting better every season he’s played. He’s one of those guys who has never gotten the accolades, but is a staple of Euroleague ball. If you’re just getting into Euroleague, you have to watch Zalgiris for the atmosphere and the quintessential European style of play, and that is synonymous with Paulius Jankunas.