Janis Berzins among contenders for Young Player of the Year in VTB League

The VTB United League hands out several individual honors each season and VTB-League.com is here to run down the top contenders, starting with the Young Player of the Year.

It's becoming more and more common to rely on younger talent. Quite often, the strategy pays big dividends for teams down the road.

VTB-League.com singles out five players born in 1993 or younger (listed in alphabetical order) that are in contention for the Young Player of the Year.

Janis Berzins

Age: 22
Stats: 27 games (21 minutes), 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a 10.9 efficiency rating.

The young Latvian forward showed promise last season and he's taken it to the next level in 2015-16, establishing himself as one of VEF's key contributors. Berzins is excellent in transition, knows how to establish position under the basket and can shoot the 3-pointer. His perimeter shooting has been a huge weapon in recent weeks, with Berzins averaging more than 3-pointers per game over the last seven contests. He represents the future and the present of this Latvian club.