This looks like a romantic finale, Nando de Colo having one last Euroleague Final Four with Fenerbahce. The reality is far more pragmatic. He wasn’t signed for a sentimental farewell but to fulfil a vital function. Emmet Ryan on how the veteran is filling a crucial role for Sarunas Jasikevicius.
Nando de Colo doesn’t need to keep playing. He had no real need for one last farewell with a big club. Yet, when Fenerbahce came calling, he knew there was a real shot at making an impact.
This weekend at the Euroleague Final Four, the veteran French guard is much more than a mascot. He’s there because he’s needed and de Colo wants to prove Sarunas Jasikevicius right.
Value in what works
With Jean Montero at Valencia and Usman Garuba at Real Madrid, who we’ve also covered this week, they are the heavy minutes guys yet to hit their prime. Nando de Colo has enjoyed his prime, delivered well, and was cruising to a relaxed end to his career.
All those years of experience however still hold some use to contenders. That’s why Fenerbahce called on him, not to be the man who joined them fresh from winning a pair of Euroleague titles with CSKA Moscow.
No, his job is to come in for 10 to 15 minutes a game to bring some order to proceedings. A Euroleague Final Four can be frenetic madness. De Colo’s veteran mind can help make the game slower, it’s an art he’s been mastering for 20 years after all.
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Answering the call
This was not some chance to bring along a friendly face for the ride. Repeating as champion is an entirely different burden to going in seeking to end a wait. Fenerbahce’s opponents know their structure, their habits, and what they want to do.
Sarunas Jasikevicius knows that he can’t pull a whopper of a surprise with even his brilliance at in-game adjustments. He needed someone who could ensure that Fener get to do what they want to do.
That’s where Nando de Colo is so useful. He won’t be the main-man for Fenerbahce but he will take the load off the main men when he takes the floor. He’s a pressure release option for the defending champions that can force order on the floor.
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The Saras fit
There are quite a few commonalities between Nando de Colo and Sarunas Jasikevicius but the primary one that matters here is their mutual obsession with reading the floor. As in-season signings go, that makes him invaluable to Fenerbahce because he didn’t need time to get up to speed.
Every time Nando enters the game, he’ll know what Saras wants and will be able to execute with minimal instruction. De Colo gets the job and knows what is needed from this version of him so he’s more than capable of executing.
In the high pressure environment of the Euroleague Final Four, that will save energy for the Fener coach. He can focus on adjustments with others, all safely knowing that his vet off the bench will be able to give him that release at key moments.
So forget the clichés please
While Nando de Colo has confirmed that he’s retiring come the end of this season, this is no conventional last dance. If anything, he’s the one providing structural foundation to the younger stars rather than being carried to a last Euroleague Final Four.
Yes, there is romance as it felt like we’d never see de Colo on this stage again. He already has a tremendous legacy in the sport. A third Euroleague title isn’t needed for validation. Instead, it would be an unexpected bonus chapter to a great story.
Fenerbahce have given Nando de Colo a truly rare opportunity. A final foray into the grandest stage on the continent as much more than a mascot but as a vital piece in their quest to go back to back. It’s rare anyone gets to go out with such importance.