Yago dos Santos — The Offensive Engine
FIBA WC 2023 — Player to watch
Hometown Sau Paulo, Brazil / DOB 03.09 1999 / 5’10–188lbs / Ratiopharm Ulm — BBL Germany
STATLINE: 14.2pts, 5.8ast, 3.2rbs, 4.4FD / 42.9 FG%, 38.6 3P%, 83.0 FT% / 26.22Min in 66GP
ROLE — BANKABLE SKILL: Floor General — Ball Screen Offense + Up-Tempo Scoring guard
Standing barely at 5’10 but undoubtedly explosive and talented, Yago Mateus dos Santos’ success during his first season in Europe wasn’t so straightforward to predict. A member of the Brazilian influx at Ratiopharm Ulm alongside Bruno Caboclo, the former Paulistano product has needed just one season across the pond to announce himself as one of the most exciting and electric point-guards around. He’s made his mark in Germany capturing the Basketball Bundesliga Championship while putting a more than solid campaign in the EuroCup. Altogether, his displays have open the door to dispute the Euroleague next season with Serbian powerhouse Crvena zvezda.
The diminutive floor-general has probed himself as a non-stop offensive engine and a plug-and-play playmaker that can dictate the tempo and dominate games despite his lack of size or elite middy pull up threat. Besides being able to orchestrate the offense whipping the ball around and finding entry passes, Yago lives and dies by the high screen and has an extra gear with the ball in his hands. A master on the art of creating and exploiting angles, dos Santos can consistently do a change of pace dribble and direction, or maybe reject the pick or split the trap with ease to step into the paint. From there he will find the roller and throw live dribble kicks at shooters or cutters at will, making the most of his quickness and gravity. Naturally, boasting a 25% usage per game, turnovers are bound to happen, but Yago does a good job keeping them under control: 2.40 A:TO ratio.
In addition to his motor as facilitator, Yago provides scoring in abundance too, mostly in Pick-and-Roll situations (5.7pts per night, by InStat) followed by transition buckets. He can hurt defenses in isolation and early offense with his acceleration, and boasts an encouraging career-high 38.6% from behind the arc for the year out of 6.2 attempts per night. As a high volume shooter from deep with fearless range, dos Santos looks more confident and natural off the bounce than off the catch. Yago is not fussed by facing bigger matchups and multiple adjustments day in and day out either. He makes a 41.1% of all his overall contested attempts, which is notable when you think he’s always the smallest player on the floor. Moreover, Yago’s combination of tight handles, low centre of gravity and thickness allow him to draw contact and get to free-throw line almost 4 times per game at a 83.0% clip.
Defensively, Yago displays energy and toughness to stick to his man and navigate screens at times, but also some obvious limitations like getting stuck on picks as well as in terms of pure switch-ability. Can he become a target for opposition schemes? Certainly. It’s a two-man job, however, as Ulm has periodically shown with efficient drop, blitz and ice approaches. He’s also a mixed bag regarding drive coverage and defensive closeouts and rotations, with quick hands and feet and readiness to negate passing lanes, but also trouble to contain post up isolations and jumpers way above his standing reach and vertical. Yago is an excellent rebounder for his position though, using well his frame to constantly boxout larger opponents and then initiate the offensive move after grabbing the rock.
What can we expect for Yago dos Santos with his National Team? Brazil’s roster is stacked with experience at the point thanks to veteran guys like Marcelinho and Raul Neto, so following the natural order of things, we can picture dos Santos coming off the bench to speed up things and deliver some scoring punch as he did in the scrimmage game against South Sudan in which Yago was impressive in limited minutes putting up four threes. Don’t be surprised if he’s trusted to start games and play over 30 minutes like he did against Australia when the 5’10 magician ran the show with up to 8ast on the night. The ability to play alongside other dominant ball-guards, to adapt to different roles and still produce the goods at international level multiplies Yago’s value for Brazil in a two-week tournament, and it’s a strong selling point of his as a player.
Talking about the World Cup bracket, Brazil has a relatively easy path into the last 16 (wins against Iran and Cote d’Ivoire will do) but then faces a real challenge to get into the Quarterfinals: they’ll need at least two wins against the likes of Spain (exciting matchup against his Ulm teammate Juan Nuñez), France and Canada between the 1st and 2nd Rounds in Jakarta. That’s a really tough road for the Brazilians, but we shouldn’t be shocked if they manage to squeeze in: well built roster with plenty of size, versatility on the wings, despite missing Didi Louzada to a late injury, and scoring power in backcourt. Brazil can definitely out gun any rival any given day (and Yago dos Santos is big reason for that) but ultimately they will need to perform defensively to go in a deep run in the World Cup. Expectations for once won’t be an issue either, and Brazil could may well be a dark horse to keep an eye on this summer.
We can’t wait to see how Yago follows up his recent NBA Summer League performance in the ABA Liga and the Euroleague next season sharing the point with Milos Teodosic and Shabazz Napier. There’s no rush though. This World Cup represents a fantastic platform for Yago Mateus dos Santos to confirm his leadership qualities and establish himself as the natural heir of Marcelinho Huertas at the helm of a sleeping giant like the Brazilian National Team. Just watch out for the smallest guy on the floor wearing the gold jersey for the next couple of weeks. He will hold the play, call the shots, put pressure at the rim and hit buckets and assists to help his team win. It doesn’t matter where you are from. The heart over height brigade will be cheering for Yago all along.
