As an Italian, I’ve always been proud to watch the few Italian players in the NBA. In the last few years, there’s been the trio formed by Andrea Bargnani, a former number 1 pick, Danilo Gallinari, and Marco Belinelli. Even if Bargnani never became what many people believed he could have been, a potential NBA All-Star, he has by no means been a disappointment and his journey was entertaining. I’ve also enjoyed the paths of the lesser celebrated Marco Belinelli who, after a slow start in the league, became a very useful rotation player in the League and won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs, and that of Danilo Gallinari, who has been a leader for the Denver Nuggets in the last few seasons. After several years of watching these three guys in the League, Italy has started to wonder who could be the next Italian player to make the jump. After the brief stint of Luigi Datome and the decision of Andrea Bargnani to return to Europe, it may be the time for another Italian player to form that trio we talked about before.
According to international reporter, David Pick, several NBA teams are showing interest in Italian forward Nicolò Melli, who is having a standout season with German Side Bamberg.
Several NBA teams, I'm told, have serious interest in luring Bamberg MVP forward Nicolo Melli to the U.S.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) March 22, 2017
Melli will be a free agent this summer and will definitely explore the possibility of going to the NBA. So far, the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets have expressed interest in the player, a source told Def Pen Hoops. However, the situation is still pretty fluid and other teams may show up in the next few months. If he ever was going to make the jump, this looks like as good a time as any for him.
Melli is a 26-year-old 6’7” forward, currently under contract with Brose Baskets Bamberg, the reigning champ in Germany. In the last two years in Germany, his game has really flourished under coach Trinchieri, who has been getting the most out of Melli’s abilities. In this season, Melli won the MVP award for December in Euroleague which was a first for his career. The forward is averaging 11.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in Euroleague with an amazing 43.8% from the three-point line.
Before joining Bamberg two years ago, Melli spent the first part of his career in Italy, mostly with Olimpia Milano. In his five years with ‘The Red Shoes’, the nickname of Milano, Melli showed flashes of his talent but never really exploded like he was expected to do. His three-point game wasn’t effective as it is today, he never shot more than 33% from three-point during his tenure in Milano. Despite a very good job with Italian NT, many coaching changes and a couple of injuries hindered his development. Two years ago, however, his contract with Milano expired and Nicolò Melli decided to leave Italy and joined Bamberg, a very ambitious team in Germany which lured Italian coach Andrea Trinchieri and Italian GM Daniele Baiesi, a former International scout for the Detroit Pistons.
In Germany, Melli has quickly developed his game and become one of the best forwards in Europe. Trinchieri was able to use him not just as a stretch four standing on three-point line, but also as a very reliable threat in the post, using both his scoring and passing skills inside the painted area. Melli’s game has been a key for the success of Bamberg in these last two seasons and has made the team one of the most entertaining in Euroleague.
Playing at the 4 makes Melli a dangerous offensive weapon as he is playing against weaker opponents and creating mismatches that help teammates find open shots and easy drives to the basket. Nik can do so many things, like using his body to post up his opponents and scoring with classy moves.
But Melli is also very good at passing the ball from the post, creating open shots for his teammates and working as de facto point guard in the post is a great part of his game.
These skills are what make Melli so intriguing for an NBA team. The playmaker 4 is quickly becoming a big part in today’s game which makes these passing bigs extremely popular. Think about guys like Nikola Jokic, Dario Saric, or Draymond Green. But Nicolò Melli is not only a great offensive player, he also knows how to make a good impact also on the defensive side. His ability to move his feet quickly allows him to switch on smaller players and despite the fact he’s not the most vertical player around, Melli can be also a solid rim protector, thanks to his basketball IQ.
His defensive game was already good in Milano, but he has become even better since he arrived in Germany. Coach Trinchieri helped make him more confident in his abilities and which led to him being the best power forward in Europe, according to a recent survey among the GMs of Euroleague teams.
Everything looks to be in the right place for Melli at this stage of his career. Not only his game has improved a lot but he is also exuding with confidence. Nik is a very smart guy, magnetic, and has a great sense of humor. These are qualities that should work well with him in a locker room. Also, his transition to the United States could be easier than most because of his mom, Julie Vollertsen, a former volleyball player and silver medalist for the United States at the 1984 Olympic Games. Julie met Nicolò’s father, Leopoldo, when she moved to Reggio Emilia in Italy to play professionally. Although he grew up in Italy and went to the States just for specific occasions only, Nik does have good knowledge of United States.
Of course, Melli will have a lot of interest in Europe this summer as well.Bamberg would absolutely love to keep him and Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce, coached by legend Zeljko Obradovic, is already eyeing him for next season, a source told Def Pen Hoops. Melli, who has always been considered a big time talent in Italy, is quickly becoming one of the most influent players in Europe and there’s still room to improve. This is increasing his popularity. Andrea Trinchieri had some wonderful things to say about Melli on the subject:
‘Sky’s the limit for Nik, he won’t become Lebron James but he can be like a good old bottle of Italian wine, can get better every year”
If the interest is indeed mutual, it’s up to NBA teams to take a shot at the best power forward in Europe.
Nicolò Melli might not be the only Italian ready to make the trip from Bamberg to the USA. His current coach, Andrea Trinchieri, recently hired Wasserman as his agency and is really intrigued by the NBA. Trincheieri is expected to explore his options this summer, according to a source. Trinchieri’s decision to join a bigger agency like Wasserman was made specifically to explore the NBA market and see if there’ll be the opportunity to join a coaching staff in the League. Bamberg is a beautiful situation for coach Trinchieri, but as he always said:
‘Routine can kill’
There’s currently only one Italian coach in the NBA right now and that happens to be legend Ettore Messina. If there was anyone capable of making the switch from Europe to the NBA, that would be Andrea Trinchieri.
