By Utkan Şahin / Translation: Mehmet Bahadır Akgün
Dominant players like Milos Teodosic, Sergio Llull, Nikola Jokic, Nemanja Bjelica, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ersan İlyasova, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Danilo Gallinari will not participate, and therefore will not be able to help their teams contend for a metal.
Especially after deciding to take part in the tournament and help their teams, the fact that Llull, Teodosic and Antetokounmpo will not play due to injury has dissapointed many fans.
Although, there are many key players who can contribute to their teams at a certain level, all 20 players on this list are capable of taking over any game and they are aiming high!
So, let the countdown begin!
20- Zaza Pachulia – Georgia
Age: 33
EuroBasket Experience: 4 times
Current Team: Golden State Warriors
Last season’s stats: 70 games, 6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Zaza Pachulia is a living-and-playing legend of Georgian basketball, and he’s heading to EuroBasket 2017 as a member of the reigning NBA champs.
After a successful season in the States, he put his national team’s jersey on and he is ready to lead his tough teammates. The goals are high for Georgia in a very open tournament.
Even though the team fell short from matching the expectations during the last championships, Pachulia put his best on the court to help them.
If he performs at 100% he will likely play the key role in carrying the team to the final round, thanks to his basketball I.Q., defence and experience.