There’s no denying that the G League Ignite experiment was a failure, and last year’s team made it an easy decision for the NBA to shut it down moving forward. The Ignite ended up going 2-32, finishing the season with a point differential of -14.8. Ultimately, the team wasn’t able to provide the competitive environment it promised some of the top high school players in the world. And now that universities are allowed to pay these players comparable money, there’s really no reason for the athletes to pass on college basketball.
Despite all of that, last year’s Ignite team still has several first-round prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. Ron Holland, who was the second-ranked player in the 2023 ESPN 100, is the biggest name of the bunch. And Tyler Smith, a smooth-shooting forward, has a lot of fans in NBA front offices. But the best prospect that played for the Ignite is arguably Matas Buzelis, who averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in the G League last season. The 19-year-old is an extremely versatile wing option, and he possesses more upside than most of the players in this draft. That is why Buzelis is generating top-five buzz as the draft rapidly approaches.
Every team in the league is looking for a forward that can shoot, handle the ball and provide positional versatility on both ends of the floor, and Buzelis ticks some of those boxes.
The shooting is probably going to be Buzelis’ swing skill in the NBA. After shooting 43.1% from three in his senior year of high school, Buzelis only shot 27.3% from deep for the Ignite. That G League shooting percentage, combined with 67.9% shooting from the free throw line, is a little concerning. But Buzelis should be able to figure out the jumper. As of right now, the Lithuanian-American awkwardly dips the ball before getting into his shot, and his release is a little slow. But NBA coaching staffs should be able to successfully fix both of those things pretty quickly. The more important thing is that Buzelis sports a nice high release and the mechanics at the top of the shot are quite good. Buzelis also happened to knock down a good percentage of his looks from the corners, and he’s comfortable shooting off movement.
If Buzelis can come close to becoming the three-point shooter he was in high school, he just might end up turning into one of the best players in this class. The 6-foot-10 forward is already able to make his mark on the game in a lot of different ways. Buzelis is actually better than expected when shooting off the dribble —especially in the mid-range area. He’s also a good cutter that uses his above-average athleticism to finish at the rim. And his handle is good enough for him to blow by slower forwards with ease. That handle also makes Buzelis a good grab-and-go forward. He’s a great rebounder and his next team should empower him to push the ball off misses and run a little offense. Buzelis has good court vision and loves making plays for his teammates.
Buzelis just needs to add some muscle, which is something he is already working on. The forward can be pushed off his spots way too easily, which has limited him as an on-ball creator. He’s also not very good at finishing through contact, which is why he often settles for floaters and other types of difficult shots in the paint. However, these are not the types of things that you should worry about when evaluating prospects. Buzelis is about to start working with world-class trainers. They’re going to help him add the strength required for him to take the next step in his game offensively. And that should also help him quite a bit on the other end of the floor.
Buzelis is already a player that will impress on the defensive end, as he has unteachable length and moves extremely well for a player his size. On the ball, Buzelis is going to work hard to force his opponents into tough shots. And while his man can occasionally bully him right now, that isn’t something that should happen regularly once he adds weight. Off the ball, Buzelis uses his impressive leaping ability and sharp overall instincts to block shots. And, in addition to being a good weak side shot-blocker, Buzelis also comes away with a good amount of steals.
Buzelis is just a player that can make a lot of teams better, as he has the ability to be a good connective piece offensively and provide a ton of versatility defensively. If he’s surrounded by adequate floor spacing right away, he should make an instant impact as a role player. But Buzelis also happens to have borderline All-Star upside, as the potential for him to develop as a shooter looms large. If he does that, you’re talking about a player with very few holes in his game. And that is the reason teams believe in him as one of this draft’s better upside bets.
Buzelis has been linked heavily to the Detroit Pistons, who are set to select fifth in this draft. Well, Detroit just hired former New Orleans Pelicans assistant Fred Vinson, who is considered one of the best shooting coaches on the planet. That’s exactly the type of hire you make if you’re thinking about taking a player that is a jumper away from stardom. And even if it’s not the Pistons that ultimately select him, there are several teams with the infrastructure required to get Buzelis’ jumper right.
