Matas Buzelis saw himself fall to the Bulls at pick 11 after being what many considered a top-five pick. Buzelis’ rookie season may have the largest gap between his floor and ceiling of anyone in the 2024 draft class. Let’s take a look at Buzelis’ rookie preview for the upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Matas Buzelis
Prospect Profile
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. Scouts and fans alike though were frustrated throughout the season with Buzelis’ lack of consistent aggression or big-game performances. His flashes are very bright though, and it can be argued that he has the highest upside in class.
Buzelis is a 6-foot-10 wing with an enticing blend of athleticism and skill. He can shoot it at all three levels and is a fluid athlete in space. Furthermore, Buzelis has shown some promise as a weakside shot blocker. If he puts it all together and becomes consistent, he will be a special player.
Team Fit
The Bulls are teetering on the brink of mediocrity and just rebuilding. This is slightly similar to the situation in Utah, although the Bulls have more experienced players overall. This experience is a mixed bag, since there are question marks and injuries throughout the roster. Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Lonzo Ball are all coming off surgeries that prematurely ended their seasons. In Ball’s case, he hasn’t played in two and a half years. Other veterans like Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig are solid players, but always potential trade targets. Then there’s the young guys.
Coby White had a breakout year in Lavine’s absence, and newly acquired Josh Giddey hopes to be the point guard of the future. There are also guys like Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, and Chris Duarte who have shown promise early in their careers. Is this a competitive roster? I don’t think so, but in the East, it’s probably perfectly capable of losing in the play-in tournament or the first round. There’s talk that the Bulls need to blow up the roster and focus on securing high stock in the loaded 2025 NBA draft class. Regardless of what the Bulls decide, it will certainly impact Buzelis’ rookie preview.
Reportedly, Buzelis has impressed throughout minicamp sessions before the Bulls start training camp. Even still there may not be a lot of opportunity with Lavine, Williams, Craig, and possibly even Duarte on the wings. Given the uncertainty surrounding this team though, the roster could change at any moment.
Predictions
Buzelis was one of the more impressive rookies in NBA summer league action. He averaged 16.4 points, 2.0 blocks, 2.0 steals, and 4.2 rebounds in five games. Buzelis showed his versatility as a 6-foot-10 point forward who can defend and be an athletic playmaker on offense.
Even still though, Buzelis’ rookie season may rest on his shooting percentages and whether he can play a defined role. Can he be an effective 3-and-D wing? Right now, he’s more of a versatile scorer than he is a pure shooter. If the Bulls do have meaningful minutes for Buzelis to play early, it may not be in the volume scorer role that he’s used to. In that case, he would have to find scoring from spot-up, slashing, and transition opportunities.
In my opinion, I think Buzelis’ talent and competitiveness will give him opportunities he takes advantage of. If the Bulls turn over their roster or decide to focus on young players’ development midway through the season, I think Buzelis could thrive in some ‘splashy’ ways. He may be a ‘boom-or-bust’ type of player, but I think he’s much closer to boom. His supreme confidence and raw traits lead me to believe that both All-Rookie teams are possible. Given this class lacks star power, Buzelis could even be a dark horse Rookie of the Year candidate if circumstances and opportunities go in his favor.
