With several U22 standing out in the last EstLatBL, a young player like Juris Vītols (2005 / 188 cm)one of the juniors who has played the most minutes in the competition along with insider promise Frederiks Meinarts, a teammate at BK Liepāja.
Vītols is a product of the DSN Riga factory, where he went through all the categories both in Latvia and in the EYBL, standing out in each competition. In fact, last season in the Latvian U16 finals he reached averages close to triple-double (13.7 pt, 11.7 re, 8.3 ace, 4.3 ro). His international confirmation was in the FIBA U16 Challengers last summer, being one of the mainstays of his selection (4 pa, 28 mi, 9.0 pt, 8.8 re, 5.3 ace). He decided that same summer to address Liepāja to continue progressing; and his coach was already praising him for his balanced game and his ability to control and direct the game. In this way, he has played in formation categories with DSN Riga, in the second Latvian with the subsidiary of Liepāja and, above all, in a main competition (EstLatBL) in which he has had a very well managed second unit role (21 dc, 20 mi, 4.9 st, 1.9 re, 2.1 as, 0.7 ro). He closed the season in Milan by participating in Basketball Without Borders, camp organized by the NBA and FIBA in which the Spanish Almansa, Barberá, De Larrea, Folgueiras and Mara were also present, among others.
That a first-year junior is playing in senior competition is always relevant. He is a player who has the ability to do it as a senior and who makes a difference when he plays against other boys his age. In the FIBA Challengers he stayed close to the triple double in averages, proving to be a point guard with physical superiority, overflow, reading of the game, intelligence when it comes to rebounding and uncomfortable in defense, where he is a good thief. With a good plant, and still pending to strengthen physically, he has not tarnished as a senior. Brain base, with good game vision and ball handling, he has the ability to play the P&R and the pass, with good ability to reach the hoop and define. In the EstLatBL he has not been able to be as explosive as in formation, but he has not shone in his penetrations or in his passes. His technique and his vision of the game help him to facilitate his landing in professionalism. It is clear that he must consolidate his outside shot, but beware, because he does not cut himself even if they do not enter him, being a player who, due to his mechanics and character, will go further in this regard. His ability to read the game, rebound and get on defense between his rival and the basket make him a base project that should start to sound.
Certainly, there are sometimes breaths of fresh air and, despite his youth, Juris Vītols has not regretted the change. Pending growth in its launch, it brings together the virtues and the ability to control the game to go burning stages.
