Spurs Prospect Preview: Matas Buzelis

Basketball followers can underestimate how troublesome it’s to compete with the professionals – particularly as a youngster. G League Ignite, the NBA’s developmental group for draft prospects, is proof of how tough the transition from highschool to the professionals may be. No one realized that lesson greater than Matas Buzelis.

Coming into the 12 months, Buzelis was a scrawny (190 lbs at 6-foot-10,) however expert, 18-year-old. He was one of the overestimated prospects coming off a dominant season at Dawn Christian Academy in Kansas. He rapidly realized the physicality and pace it took to play at knowledgeable degree. Early returns for Buzelis with the Ignite have been blended.

“It’s not like school, you aren’t enjoying towards guys that gained’t be enjoying within the NBA,” Buzelis instructed The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor in an interview. “You’re enjoying towards all NBA guys, numerous lottery picks.”

Buzelis needed to alter to the tempo of the sport, the ability degree of his opponents and the physicality of grown males enjoying basketball. Because the season went on, he slowly however absolutely improved. After his teammate and fellow draft propsect, Ron Holland, went down with a thumb harm, Buzelis was thrust right into a major function and responded effectively. He completed the season with a number of 20-point performances.

Buzelis nonetheless has the excessive upside that scouts envisioned for him popping out of highschool, regardless of an up and down season with the Ignite. If nothing else, his growth was an indication of his skill to enhance and adapt to the NBA recreation. Because the San Antonio Spurs look to construct the roster round Victor Wembanyama with the fourth and eighth choose, they may take Buzelis as a high-upside wing.

Matas Buzelis, 6-foot-10 Wing, G League Ignite

2023-2024 stats: 14.1 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 44.5% FG, 27.3% 3PT, 67.9% FT (26 G League common season video games)

Participant comparability: Sooner Kyle Anderson

Strengths

Not many gamers had a greater Draft Mix than Buzelis. He measured at 6-foot-8.75 with out footwear, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He weighed in at 197 kilos, and instructed O’Conner he hopes to stand up to 205 by the beginning of the season. He examined effectively athletically with a 38-inch vertical leap and three.09 three-quarter courtroom dash. Buzelis doesn’t all the time leap off the web page athletically on the courtroom, so these numbers have been good to see.

His size reveals up most in his shot blocking skill on the defensive finish. Buzelis has good instincts as a weak aspect rim protector who can slide over and erase photographs. He averaged 2.1 blocks within the G League this season. Along with his leaping skill, peak and wingspan, he can block drivers who get previous him as effectively. Proper now his shot blocking is perhaps his most translatable ability to the subsequent degree. He has some work to do as an off-ball defender, as he’s nonetheless late on rotations each occasionally, however he has a robust base to construct upon as a weak aspect helper.

Buzelis’ major energy is his mixture of body and ability. At 6-foot-10 (in footwear) together with his wingspan, he will likely be an enormous wing who can put the ball on the deck. For that cause, he’s drawn comparisons to Orlando Magic Ahead, Franz Wagner. Whereas he’s not fairly the playmaker Wagner was as a prospect, he does have the potential to be a connective passer who can get downhill off the bounce.

Buzelis has proven the willingness and skill to maneuver off the ball as a cutter the place he can rating or discover an open man. In keeping with Synergy, Buzelis scored 1.304 factors per possession whereas reducing. A group just like the Spurs will like his skill to play off the ball each as a cutter and a spot up wing.

His extra pure offensive place could also be as a hybrid four-man together with his mixture of contact within the mid-range, size and mid-post expertise. Buzelis has delicate contact on turnarounds and face-up jumpers within the publish. It was considered one of his higher offensive expertise within the G League. He even hit a recreation profitable publish fade within the Rising Stars Problem at All Star Weekend.

That’s the offensive promoting level for Buzelis. An enormous wing who has the potential to perform a little little bit of connective playmaking and three-level shot making. The important thing phrase is potential, as Buzelis struggled to constantly hit photographs within the G League, capturing 44.5% from the sector. The hope for groups will likely be as he scales down from a major function to only a cog in an offense, that these percentages will go up.

Weaknesses

Buzelis didn’t all the time dwell as much as his promise with the Ignite. He was an typically inefficient scorer who struggled to hit photographs from deep, create a bonus within the half courtroom nor make performs for others. Buzelis shot simply 27.3% from deep, and had a unfavorable help to turnover ratio (1.9 to 2.1.) He shot 35.8% on jumpers off the dribble and hit 30.8% of his catch and shoot jumpers.

Buzelis has a mechanically sound leap shot. It might be a bit stiff, nevertheless it’s exhausting to seek out lots fallacious with it. He shot the ball extremely effectively in highschool, however struggled on the professional degree. Buzelis made the case that his capturing percentages have been harm by that leap to the subsequent degree.

“Capturing a highschool three is easy,” Buzelis instructed O’Connor. “The sport isn’t as quick or bodily because the G League. You lose your legs actually quick.”

This doesn’t seem to be a stretch in case you watched Buzelis this 12 months. He seemed weak and typically gradual towards greater, stronger and older G Leaguers. Buzelis obtained tossed round by greater gamers all through the season. He might get got rid of his drive, cleared out beneath the rim and utterly ran over at instances. It could make sense after taking that many beatings, that his legs could be weaker.

Buzelis seemed stronger and extra explosive in current exercise movies. Out of all of the prospects within the 2024 Draft, he may benefit probably the most from an NBA energy and conditioning coach. A matured and extra constructed out Buzelis could possibly be an issue on each ends.

It additionally helps that Buzelis obtained higher because the season went on. He turned extra snug getting downhill towards the basket. He might take bumps and was bodily across the rim. There’s a night time and day distinction between watching his early Ignite video games and the later ones. Buzelis nonetheless must get higher across the rim. He was a advantageous finisher, however doesn’t have a go-to transfer on the cup. He struggles to go above, round or by a defender on the hoop. He shot simply 47.6% on layups with the Ignite.

There’s additionally the issue of Buzelis’ deal with. Sure, he’s a greater ball-handler than most gamers his dimension, however he nonetheless has a protracted solution to go in that regard. Buzelis has a reasonably excessive dribble and doesn’t have sufficient craft off the bounce to maintain the ball away from defenders. There have been a number of instances this season when he would dribble the ball into visitors just for it to get stripped by a defender. He doesn’t beat many gamers off the bounce both. His finest solution to bend a protection is together with his cuts or on straight line drives.

There additionally stays a query of who Buzelis can defend successfully on the subsequent degree. He’s too gradual of foot to protect sooner wings, and he’s too weak to protect large ones inside. He’s gradual on closeouts and will get misplaced on numerous display screen actions. He’ll make up for it by being an honest group defender, however his on-ball protection has a methods to go earlier than he’s a plus defender within the NBA.

Spurs match

The Spurs system can cowl up numerous Buzelis’ flaws. In San Antonio, Buzelis wouldn’t be requested to be “the man.” He can function as a connector and cutter in a system constructed on ball and participant motion. He would thrive reducing and spacing off the eye Wembanyama attracts. To completely maximize that match, his leap shot would wish to return again round.

If it does, the Spurs might have a close to excellent match subsequent to Wembanyama. An enormous wing who can probably rating in any respect three ranges, whereas offering a shot blocking presence alongside him would assist the Silver and Black. The Spurs have helped smaller gamers placed on muscle earlier than (take a look at Devin Vassell at Florida State in comparison with now.) In the event that they suppose they can assist Buzelis attain his athletic potential, they may have a core piece on their arms.

Nonetheless, considerations will stay round his on-ball protection, ball dealing with and capturing skill. Spurs Normal Supervisor, Brian Wright, loves large and versatile gamers. Buzelis would match the invoice and provides San Antonio one other participant who might become a great starter if every little thing goes proper.

Earlier Prospects:

Rob Dillingham

Reed Sheppard

Nikola Matter

Zaccharie Risacher

Stephon Fort

Tidjane Salaun

Ron Holland