The Euroleague’s 50 best players: 10-1

BELGRADE, SERBIA - MAY 18: Nando de Colo, #1 of CSKA Moscow during the 2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague F4 Semifnal B game between Semifinal A CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid at Stark Arena on May 18, 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Luca Sgamellotti/EB via Getty Images) /

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KAUNAS, LITHUANIA – MARCH 30: Nando de Colo, #1 of CSKA Moscow in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season game between Zalgiris Kaunas and CSKA Moscow at Zalgirio Arena on March 30, 2018 in Kaunas, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/EB via Getty Images) /

1. Nando De Colo, SG, CSKA Moscow

Nationality/College: French

2017-18 stats: 16.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals per game (CSKA Moscow)

Career Synopsis: De Colo was selected 53rd in the 2009 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, and spent three seasons with Valencia (winning Eurocup in 2010) before getting called over the the NBA. He spent two years with the Spurs and Raptors, making the 2013 NBA Finals. After the Raptors waived him, though, it was back to CSKA, where his career really took off. De Colo peaked in 2016, helping CSKA Moscow win the Euroleague title and winning MVP in the process. But he’s been a top-10 player in the league over the past four season, and has made three straight All-Euroleague First Teams.

Representative Highlight Play:

What’s his skill set?: De Colo is one of the most efficient scorers Euroleague has ever seen. He uses his handle and incredible body control to score consistently at the rim, and supplements that with great off-ball shooting, hitting 48.4 percent from deep last year. De Colo hasn’t had a true shooting rate under 65 percent since 2015, and he accomplishes that on over 10 field goal attempts per game. He’s also one of Euroleague’s fastest players, and his anticipation allows him to be a disruptive force on defense as well.

What makes him special?: De Colo doesn’t have the volatility of Shved, the glaring weakness to overcome of Calathes, or even the signature moments of Llull. His NBA analog instead is Kevin Durant – you can sometimes forget he’s on the floor, and then look up and he has 20 points in a half. The game comes to him, and he takes from it what his team needs to win with a precision that’s unmatched at this level. There’s no one more cold and calculating than De Colo with the ball in his hands, and that’s why he holds the mantle of the best player in the world outside the NBA.