Matas Buzelis was a top high-school recruit and NBA draft prospect opting to play for the G-league Ignite. There were certainly ups and downs, but he still remains a top talent for teams to look at.
Matas Buzelis 2024 NBA Draft Profile
Early Career
Buzelis played for popular prep school Sunrise Christian Academy where he became the fifth overall player in the 2023 class. He was one of two top-five prospects who chose to play with the NBA’s G-League Ignite program rather than college. Buzelis was a six-foot-nine wing with a polished skillset, making him an immediate top candidate on NBA draft boards.
As is well documented at this point, the Ignite program experienced a tumultuous season resulting in its permanent cancellation. Buzelis averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. These are solid numbers compared with many other top prospects in this class who also played in a professional league.
Strengths
Buzelis’ signature strength as an NBA draft prospect is his combination of size and fluidity relative to position. His high-end upside that intrigues so many mostly comes from those two traits. If ‘potential’ had to represent only one person in this NBA draft class, it would be Buzelis. As a jumbo wing at six-foot-nine, he’s a good athlete in space and possesses fluidity throughout his game.
His jump-shot mechanics and footwork overall on offense all project well at the next level and easily pass the eye test. Another strength is that he’s flashed the ability to score from all three levels and in transition. This potential scoring versatility is definitely a plus for a team looking to spend a top-10 pick in a class that lacks players with star potential.
Lastly, Buzelis’ defense was a mixed bag, but his emergence as a possible weakside rim protector was welcomed. Buzelis averaged 2.1 blocks per game and used his length well to alter shots.
Weaknesses
As with most prospects who are projected on ‘upside,’ Buzelis’ NBA traits came in flashes rather than consistent production. Almost all his strengths are ‘projected strengths’ rather than skills that people believe are ready to go from day one. For every great moment on offense or defense, there were two other moments that left scouts with concerns.
One highlight of this fact is his negative assist-to-turnover ratio. While averaging 1.9 assists, he also committed 2.1 turnovers per game. Also, while his jump-shot looks the part and he flashes brilliance in shot-making at times, the percentages tell a different story. Buzelis finished the season shooting just 27.3 percent from deep and 44.5 percent from the field.
This has led many to question if Buzelis will ever develop a specific elite skill. Another weakness tying into this inconsistency is Buzelis’ sometimes lack of aggression and impactfulness, specifically when his shot isn’t falling. He had a tendency to often fade out of games when he couldn’t develop a rhythm.
Overall, scouts are still trying to figure out what curve to grade Buzelis and other Ignite prospects on. Was the program’s poor roster in a pro league partly to blame for deficiencies? In short, it seems nothing is guaranteed with Buzelis and he might be the biggest ‘boom-or-bust’ candidate in this NBA draft class.
NBA Comparison
Buzelis’ ability to affect the game at all three levels on offense will remind many of a young Gordon Hayward. Hayward is a good pro comparison as Buzelis has the height and athletic ability to become a star in this draft. Buzelis will need to prove that his flashes can become consistent performances though. There are also some that favor Buzelis’ high-end comparison to Franz Wagner. Wagner’s superior defense and stronger physique at the same stage give reason to be wary of this comparison, however.
2024 NBA Draft Projection
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