Matas Buzelis: NBA draft scouting report and intel
2004 | 6’10 | 6’10 WS | 209 LBS
Team: G League Ignite
Agent: Michael Tellem
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 2 / Worst rank: 8
In 2023-24, Buzelis averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three, and 67.9 percent from the foul line.
His parents, Kristina and Aidas, both played basketball professionally in Lithuania.
Strengths:
* Tall with a smooth stroke and good mobility for his size
* Skilled off the dribble with a crafty finishing ability
* Plus athlete who can finish above the rim with ease
* Capable of impacting the game without initiating offense, makes smart reads and provides spacing
* Solid jump shot with good form and touch, capable of shooting off the dribble and off movement
* Moves well laterally on defense, capable of staying in front of his defender and getting blocks
* Has potential starting-level role player value if he puts things together
* Better suited off the ball as a shooter or potential bench scorer with some off-the-dribble ability
* Potential comparable to a younger Nic Batum at the next level
Weaknesses:
* Negative assist-to-turnover ratio and below-average true shooting percentage
* Inconsistent three-point shooter, struggles to consistently shoot from deep
* Limited interior defensive presence and struggles with closeouts and contesting shots
* Disappears offensively when shots aren’t falling, lacks elite facilitation skills to be a primary playmaker and struggles with ball handling in traffic
* Slow release on shot and needs to get stronger to guard power forwards effectively
* Potential to be a “master-of-none” type of player, lacking standout skills
Scotto's Draft Notes:
“If he turns out great, he could be Franz Wagner at best,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “Buzelis is skilled but lacks some toughness and grit at times.”
“There are some games where Matas makes a lot of shots and creates a lot of shots by playmaking,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “He’s shown some athleticism. When you watch him in person, he can’t defend at a high enough level. When he sits down to try and slide, he can’t move his feet as well as he needs to be able to defend some guys. Sometimes he’ll have decent instinct plays where can cut a guy off, but in space, he’s going to get attacked. Offensively, I don’t think he’s going to make enough special shots off movement or off the dribble, not just shots standing in the corner.”
“Some say Buzelis can be a point forward, but I don’t know if I see it,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “He can handle it at his size, but if you don’t trust him to be the primary ball handler, where does he fit best? He stretches the floor, but he’s not a knockdown shooter. With that said, in this draft, you probably have to take a chance on him, given his size and ability to handle the ball and try to figure it out.”
Excerpts from HoopsHype’s Aggregate Mock Draft from colleague Michael Scotto, who contributed research to this story, can be found here.
