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The Euroleague’s 50 best players: 20-11

By Trevor Magnotti

BELGRADE, SERBIA - MAY 18, 2018: Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul's Marko Guduric (L), Jan Vesely (2nd R) and Zalgiris Kaunas' Beno Udrih (2nd L) and Antanas Kavaliauskas (R) in action in their 2017/2018 Euroleague Final Four Semifinal B basketball match at Stark Arena. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images)
BELGRADE, SERBIA - MAY 18, 2018: Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul's Marko Guduric (L), Jan Vesely (2nd R) and Zalgiris Kaunas' Beno Udrih (2nd L) and Antanas Kavaliauskas (R) in action in their 2017/2018 Euroleague Final Four Semifinal B basketball match at Stark Arena. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images) /
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KAZAN, RUSSIA – MARCH 24: Nando De Colo (L), Cory Higgins (2th R) end Aaron Jackson (R) of CSKA Moscow in action against Keith Langford (2th L) of UNICS Kazan during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match between UNICS Kazan and CSKA Moscow in Kazan, Russia on March 24, 2017. (Photo by Alexey Nasyrov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
KAZAN, RUSSIA – MARCH 24: Nando De Colo (L), Cory Higgins (2th R) end Aaron Jackson (R) of CSKA Moscow in action against Keith Langford (2th L) of UNICS Kazan during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match between UNICS Kazan and CSKA Moscow in Kazan, Russia on March 24, 2017. (Photo by Alexey Nasyrov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) /

18. Keith Langford, SG, Panathinaikos

Nationality/College: American (Kansas)

2017-18 stats: 17.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals per game (Shenzhen, Maccabi Rishon)

Career synopsis: Langford broke into pro basketball with the Austin Spurs in the G-League in 2007, and got a call-up to the Spurs for two games as well. But after that season, Langford came to Europe, and started scoring points. Lots, and lots of points. In 11 European seasons with Biella, Virtus Bologna, Khimki, Olimpia Milano, Unics Kazan, and Maccabi Rishon, Langford has scored over 4,000 points, averaging 16.6 points per game. He twice earned the Alphonso Ford award, given to Euroleague’s top scorer, and was All-Euroleague First Team with Milano in 2014. After a one-year stint in China, he’s back with Panathinaikos at age 35.

Representative Highlight Play:

What’s his skill set?: Langford is a certified bucket acquirer. He has a great handle, one of Europe’s quickest pull-up shots, and is a great slasher to boot. He’s an adequate defender, but really, he’s going to be able to eat possessions as a number one scorer and draw attention from others on the floor to open opportunities.

What makes him special?: He can drag you to victories by himself, as he did last time he was in Euroleague in 2017 with Unics Kazan. His gravity continues to be massive when he has the ball, and his movement off-ball means you always have to account for him cutting to the rim. He’s one of the best scorers the European game has seen in this decade, and even at age-35, it’s likely he’s going to make a huge difference in Panathinaikos’s final season outcome.

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