VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - There is nothing like versatility that increases a player's value to a national team. Does a coach carry three point guards, for example, or two pure playmakers and then rely on a third member of the team that can play multiple positions, including that of the floor general.

Looking ahead to FIBA EuroBasket 2017, several teams will benefit from top-notch players that can play as many as four positions. Which one is the most versatile of all?

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

The Greek Freak may not just be the most versatile player in Europe, but the entire world. An NBA All-Star with the Milwaukee Bucks, Antetokounmpo has a multifaceted game. He dunks, hits 3-pointers, swats shots and handles the ball well. Is any player going to be more important to his national team this summer than Antetokounmpo? Maybe Pau Gasol of Spain but then again, maybe not.

Nemanja Bjelica, Serbia

Sasha Djordjevic's team showed it could win without him last summer when it first prevailed in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade and then made it all the way to the Final of the Olympics. Don't think for a minute that Bjelica, who was injured and couldn't play in 2016, won't walk back into the starting line-up for Serbia if he's healthy this year. The NBA man runs the break, guards big men in the low post, blocks shots, connects from deep and dribbles and passes well. When he's at his best, as he was in a 10-point triumph over Spain at FIBA EuroBasket 2015 when he poured in 24 points, corralled 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists, he's MVP calibre.

Dario Saric, Croatia

This is a player that has surpassed the hype in international basketball. In his youth days, he revealed himself to be multi-talented on numerous occasions. What's best about Saric, his passing? Maybe it's his defense (cue the rejection of Gasol at the end of Croatia's victory over Spain in Rio). Is it his fearlessness, which he shows over and over again? Then there is his leadership. All of this, combined with the excellence of Bojan Bogdanovic, makes the Croatians good bets to reach the podium this summer.

Jonas Maciulis, Lithuania

It's tempting to call the long and wiry Mindaugas Kuzminskas Lithuania's most versatile player but really, this label is better affixed to Maciulis. Is there anything the 32-year-old from Kaunas doesn't do well? He ranks No. 1 in hustle for the Baltic side. He is first in toughness. He excels in transition, shoots its from deep, scores on drives in the half-court offense. Maciulis gets the maximum out of his talent and really needs to be on the court and playing well for Lithuania to be a contender.

Tornike Shengelia, Georgia

A member of the "worth the price of admission" gang, Shengelia helps Georgia in so many ways. A double-digit scorer in all of their games at FIBA EuroBasket 2015, Shenglia is like Antetokounmpo in that he has a flair for the dramatic. He will draw double-teams and create scoring opportunities for teammates, and he'll get his share of steals on defense. His average efficiency rating of 21.4 last year in qualifying ranked first overall for Georgia, who won all but one of their six games to reach the FIBA EuroBasket for a fourth time in a row.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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