Latvia was one step away from being the heroes of the 2023 Men’s Basketball World Cup after failing to advance to the quarterfinals by just two points against Germany. One of those heroes was 23-year-old guard Andris Zagas. In this World Cup, Zagas contributed 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, ranking sixth on the scoring list and third on the assist list, making him the king of scoring and the organizational core of the Latvian team. His play has caught the attention of several NBA teams and he has reportedly received several contract offers.
Teenage years
Andris Zagas, born on October 13, 2000, has a height of 1.90 meters and weight of 82 kilograms and plays as a point guard. He was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, to an architect father and an accountant mother. He has an older brother and a younger sister, and the whole family loves basketball.
Zagas showed exceptional basketball talent as a teenager, representing Latvia’s U16, U18 and U20 national teams in a number of international tournaments with good results. At the 2015 European U16 Championship, he contributed 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, helping Latvia finish sixth.
In 2016, he entered the professional league and then joined Barcelona’s first team. Zagas is considered a potential post player with excellent ball-handling, breakout and passing abilities, as well as the ability to shoot threes and free throws. He has repeatedly stated that LeBron James is his basketball idol.
Technical Highlights
Zagas is a classic European offensive organizer with excellent game sense and basketball IQ, which makes up for his lack of height and physicality. He excels at blocking plays and capitalizing on his opponents’ strengths, possessing excellent dribbling, quick movement and a proven knack for handling the ball.
He also excels at scoring with the ball, scoring on breakaways and soft layups. Although there is room for improvement in three-point shooting consistency, he has shown good three-point ability.
On the defensive end, he needs to build strength and weight to better handle both on-ball and off-ball defense. Since speed and physicality are not at the top level, this could affect his effectiveness on the defensive end.
Despite not falling into depression after the loss to Germany, Zagas showed strong belief and pride. He said, “We did our best and have no regrets. We are proud of ourselves and our country. We proved that we can match any opponent. We still have a lot of opportunities and challenges ahead of us and we will continue to work hard.”
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