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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ISTANBUL, TURKEY – JUNE 13: Nicolo Melli (4) of Fenerbahce in action during the Tahincioglu Basketball League play-off Final series fifth match between Fenerbahce Dogus and TOFAS at the Ulker Sports Arena in Istanbul, Turkey on June 13, 2018. (Photo by Serhat Cagdas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) /

6. Nicolo Melli, PF, Fenerbahce

Nationality/College: Italian

2017-18 stats: 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals per game (Fenerbahce)

Career synopsis: Melli’s Euroleague career enters its ninth season at just 27-years old. He came up through development with Olimpia Milano, but really cut his teeth as a budding star with Brose Bamberg, where he was All-Euroleague Second Team in 2017. His first season with Fenerbahce was a strong one, as he helped them make the title game for the third straight year.

Representative Highlight Play:

What’s his skill set?: Melli has an aesthetic similar to Blake Griffin, leveraging his passing and rebounding abilities to supplement a very strong face-up game. He has very strong vision, particularly from the elbow, and a great nose for the ball. The difference is that Melli is a killer 3-point shooter, hitting above 40 percent for the past three seasons and shooting 44.1 percent last year.

What makes him special?: Melli struggled early in his transition from Bamberg to Fenerbahce, but by the end of the season, Fener’s offense was humming whenever the 6-foot-9 Italian was in the game. It stands to reason that year two could be even more fruitful, as Melli will likely get more of a creation load early on as Tyler Ennis and Marko Guduric figure out how to take over for Bradley Wanamaker. The pairing of Melli and Jan Vesely is a deadly frontcourt to deal with — you need to have big men ready to throw bodies at Vesely rolling to the rim, but also quick and agile enough to chase Melli off screens. Fenerbahce seems like a strong bet to make a fourth straight title game, and it’ll be on the back of Melli if it happens.