Kristijan Nikolov is the future for Galatasaray

Kristijan Nikolov was never a high-profile prospect.

He is ranked No. 34 in the class of 1996 international players, according to DraftExpress.

How short is Nikolov's resume? It's like a single hiccup. His career-highs in the Euroleague are just six points and two assists.

Still, let's not forget, we're talking about an 18-year-old kid playing in foreign land on the biggest stage outside the NBA.

The 6-foot-3 Macedonia native point guard signed a long-term commitment with Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray in 2010 and was assigned to develop under its junior farm-team umbrella.

Nikolov received Turkish credentials last season but he's forbidden from competing in the professional domestic league. In short, Nikolov splits his time training with Galatasaray and the youth team – not a whole lot of game action there.

He averages just 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 1.3 turnovers per contest over 10 minutes in seven games. His career-high 19 minutes were recorded last night during an 81-72 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Nikolov was one of three rookies featured against the reigning European champions. The others being 6-foot-7 center Ege Arar and 6-foot-5 wingman Gokturk Ural.

Nikolov didn’t stuff the stat sheet nor was his assists-turnover ratio impressive. But the kid was a spark off the bench. His athleticism, ball-handling skills and determination were fun to watch. He was poised and showed no fear when guarding Yogev Ohayon (zero points) or crossing up Jeremy Pargo multiple times.

Being a student of the game, Nikolov credits his flashy handles and high-volume court vision to one of the best to ever do it overseas. "I played with Carlos Arroyo and learned a lot from him. Talking with him almost every day was a blessing, he was a great teacher."

Nikolov had trouble avoiding traps and recorded multiple turnovers, though a series of strong plays down the stretch – including facilitating a short lived comeback – are what stood out. He logged a total of five points, five turnovers and two dimes.

"It was great going up against Maccabi. Jeremy Pargo is one of the best guards overseas and I try to learn from him all the time. I made some mistakes in the second-half, but I'll fix that going forward," Nikolov said on his performance.

"Nikolov is a project player with a lot of skill but he needs more experience," said head coach Ergin Ataman on the youngster. "It's not easy playing in Tel Aviv, but Nikolov had some good sets. He has to control the offense more, but he is atheletic and has upside. He will be backup point guard for Galatasaray," Ataman added.

Following the deficit, veteran teammate and mentor Sinan Guler caught Nikolov in the corner of the locker room for an extensive eye-opening chat. "He explained the importance of being calm during the game. He knows I am young," Nikolov said.

"Being successful is a matter of experience. Playing against Maccabi, the European champions, isn’t easy. But my goal is to stick with Galatasaray and get more minutes in more games next season. I will also play in the Turkish league next season," he said.

Article by David Pick

Twitter: @IAmDPick