Andrea Bargnani: Power Ranking the Top 20 European Players in the NBA
With Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani improving seemingly year after year, it got us at Bleacher Report thinking: Who are the Top 20 European players in the NBA?
These are current players and the rankings are based on who is playing better in the 2010-2011 season.
Bargnani has had a career year so far this season, averaging over 20 points for the first time and shooting 47 percent in the process.
But he's not inside the top five.
You can probably think of a few right off the top of your head, and some you might not even realize were born in Europe.
This list includes European players by blood and also players who were born in Europe.
Here are the power rankings for the Top 20 European Players in the NBA.
20. Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta Hawks, USSR
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Forward Zaza Pachulia has long been one of those players admired for his scrappy play.
He is still kept around on a talented Atlanta team because of this.
He's not a star by any means, but he will give you quality minutes of the bench and can be a difference-maker in few minutes.
19. Darko Milicic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Yugoslavia
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Of the former Yugoslavia, this is probably the only positive list Darko Milicic will find himself on.
He is widely considered as one of the biggest busts in NBA history, picked No. 2 in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.
Five teams and nine seasons later, he still finds himself in the NBA, and for one thing, and one thing only: blocking shots.
He is one of the best blockers in the league, averaging 2.7 blocks in just over 26 minutes per game.
18. Nenad Krstic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Yugoslavia
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You will find there are a lot of Yugoslavian players in the NBA.
Nenad is one of them.
His stats won't jump out at you, but he gives a 15-8 Thunder team good minutes on the floor, and he's been a respectable center in his seven years in the league.
17. Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City Thunder, Switzerland
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I don't know if Thabo is the only Swiss player in the NBA, but he's certainly the best one.
He also cracks the Top 20 European players, giving the Thunder quality minutes in 31 minutes per game.
His 1.7 steals per game can be a big difference maker in games.
16. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Miami Heat, USSR
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Of the former USSR, Ilgauskas has long been a dependable center in the NBA.
He knows the game, and despite getting older, can still give the Miami Heat solid minutes off the bench these days.
He's a big body in the middle, and a smart one at that.
15. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers, Spain
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Guard Rudy Fernandez looked like he could be a rising player when he busted onto the scene in 2008 with the Blazers.
He has a sweet stroke and consistently can hit the long ball well.
But he's lacking in the rest of the game, which only puts him at No. 15.
Regardless, teams need shooters like Rudy on their bench.
14. Nicolas Batum, Portland Trailblazers, France
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Forward Nicolas Batum, also of the Trailblazers, is averaging 28 minutes per game this season, the most in his three years in the NBA.
He too can hit the long ball with consistency, but he also adds steals and an overall better game than Fernandez.
He's a player to look out for in the coming years.
13. Marco Belinelli, New Orleans Hornets, Italy
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Being a Golden State Warriors fan, I never though former coach Don "Fat Bellinelli" Nelson used Marco enough.
In his first season with the Hornets, Belinelli is finally getting a chance to show what he can do, averaging 28 minutes and the starting shooting guard for a 14-7 team.
He's shooting the 3-ball at a 42 percent clip, and he's a better passer than people give him credit for.
12. Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz, Russia
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Forward Andrei Kirelenko consistently gives the Jazz more possessions by blocking shots and stealing basketballs.
He's that kind of player who doesn't rebound the ball well or shoot very well, but does the little things that can make a difference.
He's been doing this for years for coach Jerry Sloan, and he's averaging the most minutes for Sloan than he has since the 2005-2006 season.
11. Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors, Latvia
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Andris Biedrins is a good player for what he is.
A lanky seven-footer who you can't expect to guard behemoths down in the post.
His career field-goal percentage is 60 percent on about six shots a game and he's been a quality rebounder and blocker when healthy in his career.
He's averaging 9.9 boards per game this season.
This picture's priceless.
10. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies, Spain
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In only his third year in the league, Marc Gasol, brother of Pau Gasol, has established himself as a quality big man who can rebound, block shots, and score at a high percentage.
He's overlooked a lot being in Memphis, but he's a solid center.
9. Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks, Italy
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Forward Danilo Gallinari has had a bit of a dropoff since last year when he gained attention with a solid sophomore season.
But he's still got a nice stroke, and his a budding young player who shoots the 3-ball at a high rate.
He's averaging 15.3 points per game for the Knicks this season.
8. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors, Spain
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Guard Jose Calderon is one of the most overlooked and underrated guards in the NBA.
Despite shooting at a 49 percent clip throughout his career, he averages about eight shots a game.
That is because he is a big-time team player who is very good at getting his teammates the ball at the right spots on the floor.
He's what a point guard should be, a general.
Despite averaging 21 minutes per game one season, Calderon has never averaged less than 4.5 assists per game in his six years in the league.
He's averaging 6.4 this season in just over 25 minutes per game.
7. Hedo Turkoglu, Phoenix Suns, Turkey
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Where else would a player with the last name of Turkoglu come from?
In his 11 years in the NBA, forward Hedo Turkoglu has established himself as a solid player.
He can go stretches where can lift a team, and his ability to hit the long ball is a big reason he's been with San Antonio, Orlando, and now the Suns.
He's a respected player, and one of the more recognized European players in the league.
6. Boris Diaw, Charlotte Bobcats, France
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Forward Boris Diaw has always been a multi-dimensional player, which is why he is averaging over 35 minutes per game under coach Larry Brown.
He gives you rebounds, assists, some blocks, steals, shoots at a high clip, and can even hit the 3-ball.
He's one of the most complete players in the league. He isn't a star, but he has a well-rounded game.
5. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors, Italy
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Bargnani has proven he clearly belongs in the league the last few years.
He's a consistent shooter, and although maybe not the shot blocker you'd expect out of a 7'0", 250-pound forward/center, he stretches the floor and creates massive matchup problems with his ability to hit the long ball and his athleticism.
He's averaging over 21 points per game this season, shooting 47 percent from the floor on 17 shots per game.
I'm guessing the Raptors will try to hold onto him.
4. Ben Gordon, Detroit Pistons, London
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Bet you didn't know guard Ben Gordon was born in London, England, did you?
He's one of the better pure shooters in the game, and his 10-plus shot attempts per game the last six years attests to that.
He is usually used off the bench to give a team a spark, and when he's on, he can be devastating to opponents.
3. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, France
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Tony Parker has been one of the best point guards in the league ever since he started getting big minutes from the Spurs in 2002.
Along with Tim Duncan, he's been the face of the Spurs for years and his play doesn't appear to be slowing down despite him getting older.
He's one of the most consistent players for the last 10 years and he knows how to play the game.
2. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, Spain
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It took a while for Pau Gasol to get recognized as one of the best players in the NBA, coming from the Memphis Grizzlies, but once he donned the Lakers uniform he became an instant force.
There are times people actually talked more about him than teammate Kobe Bryant, and that's a rare feat.
He's averaging 19.8 points and 11.6 rebounds this season, with 2.1 blocks per game.
Slightly more than his career averages of 18.8, 9.1, and 1.7.
1. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, Germany
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Forward Dirk Nowitzki's arrival to the NBA in 1998 single-handily changed the game of basketball.
Never before had the game seen a seven-footer be able to stretch defenses the way he did, and hit three-pointers with an alarming accuracy.
His athleticism also made him a favorite in former coach Don Nelson's run-and-gun system.
Since he first arrived on the scene, Nowitzki has never looked back, averaging 23 points per game on 47 percent shooting, 1.2 threes per game at 38 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds, and a solid free throw percentage as well.
He's a nightmare for any type of player, large or small, to guard, he's the standard for which many European players have held themselves to, and his fadeaway jumper is nearly unstoppable.
