Olympiacos lands playmaker Strelnieks

Jun 20, 2017 by Euroleague.net Print
Olympiacos lands playmaker Strelnieks
Olympiacos Piraeus improved its backcourt by inking point guard Janis Strelnieks to a two-year deal on Tuesday. Strelnieks (1.91 meters, 27 years old) arrives from Brose Bamberg, where he played for the last three seasons. He averaged 11.7 points and 3.5 assists in 22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season, shooting the ball with high percentages (58.1% 2FG, 45.9% 3FG, 89.2% FT). In his three seasons with Bamberg, he helped his team to win three German League titles, as well as lifting the German Cup trophy last season. Strelnieks started his career with Ventspils of his native Latvia and also played for Spartak St. Petersburg of Russia and Budivelnik Kiev of Ukraine before joining Bamberg. He helped Budivelnik win the Ukrainian double - league and cup - titles in 2014, lifting the Latvian Leaue trophy with Ventspils in 2009 and reaching the 7DAYS EuroCup semifinals with Spartak in 2012. Strelnieks is also a regular member of the Latvian national team. He helped Latvia win a bronze medal at the 2007 U18 European Championships. Strelnieks has played three EuroLeague seasons - one with Budivelnik and two more with Bamberg -, averaging 10.3 points on 43.6% three-point shooting, 91.2% free throw accuracy and 3.3 assists in 56 career games.