Spurs Prospect Preview: Matas Buzelis

San Antonio could consider the big wing from the G League Ignite.

Basketball fans can underestimate how difficult it is to compete with the professionals – especially as a teenager. G League Ignite, the NBA’s developmental team for draft prospects, is proof of how rough the transition from high school to the pros can be. Nobody learned that lesson more than Matas Buzelis.

Coming into the year, Buzelis was a scrawny (190 lbs at 6-foot-10,) but skilled, 18-year-old. He was one of the most hyped up prospects coming off a dominant season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. He quickly learned the physicality and speed it took to play at a professional level. Early returns for Buzelis with the Ignite were mixed.

“It’s not like college, you aren’t playing against guys that won’t be playing in the NBA,” Buzelis told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor in an interview. “You are playing against all NBA guys, a lot of lottery picks.”

Buzelis had to adjust to the pace of the game, the skill level of his opponents and the physicality of grown men playing basketball. As the season went on, he slowly but surely improved. After his teammate and fellow draft propsect, Ron Holland, went down with a thumb injury, Buzelis was thrust into a primary role and responded well. He finished the season with multiple 20-point performances.

Buzelis still has the high upside that scouts envisioned for him coming out of high school, despite an up and down season with the Ignite. If nothing else, his development was a sign of his ability to improve and adapt to the NBA game. As the San Antonio Spurs look to build the roster around Victor Wembanyama with the fourth and eighth pick, they could take Buzelis as a high-upside wing.

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

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

Player comparison: Faster Kyle Anderson

Strengths

Not many players had a better Draft Combine than Buzelis. He measured at 6-foot-8.75 without shoes, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He weighed in at 197 pounds, and told O’Conner he hopes to get up to 205 by the start of the season. He tested well athletically with a 38-inch vertical leap and 3.09 three-quarter court sprint. Buzelis doesn’t always leap off the page athletically on the court, so these numbers were good to see.

His length shows up most in his shot blocking ability on the defensive end. Buzelis has good instincts as a weak side rim protector who can slide over and erase shots. He averaged 2.1 blocks in the G League this season. With his leaping ability, height and wingspan, he can block drivers who get past him as well. Right now his shot blocking might be his most translatable skill to the next level. He has some work to do as an off-ball defender, as he’s still late on rotations every once in a while, but he has a strong base to build upon as a weak side helper.

Buzelis’ primary strength is his combination of frame and skill. At 6-foot-10 (in shoes) with his wingspan, he will be a big wing who can put the ball on the deck. For that reason, he’s drawn comparisons to Orlando Magic Forward, Franz Wagner. While he’s not quite 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 shown the willingness and ability to move off the ball as a cutter where he can score or find an open man. According to Synergy, Buzelis scored 1.304 points per possession while cutting. A team like the Spurs will like his ability to play off the ball both as a cutter and a spot up wing.

His more natural offensive position may be as a hybrid four-man with his combination of touch in the mid-range, length and mid-post skills. Buzelis has soft touch on turnarounds and face-up jumpers in the post. It was one of his better offensive skills in the G League. He even hit a game winning post fade in the Rising Stars Challenge at All Star Weekend.

That’s the offensive selling point for Buzelis. A big wing who has the potential to do a little bit of connective playmaking and three-level shot making. The key word is potential, as Buzelis struggled to consistently hit shots in the G League, shooting 44.5% from the field. The hope for teams will be as he scales down from a primary role to just a cog in an offense, that those percentages will go up.

Weaknesses

Buzelis didn’t always live up to his promise with the Ignite. He was an often inefficient scorer who struggled to hit shots from deep, create an advantage in the half court nor make plays for others. Buzelis shot just 27.3% from deep, and had a negative assist 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 jump shot. It may be a bit stiff, but it’s hard to find a lot wrong with it. He shot the ball incredibly well in high school, but struggled at the pro level. Buzelis made the case that his shooting percentages were hurt by that leap to the next level.

“Shooting a high school three is simple,” Buzelis told O’Connor. “The game isn’t as fast or physical as the G League. You lose your legs really fast.”

This doesn’t seem like a stretch if you watched Buzelis this year. He looked weak and sometimes slow against bigger, stronger and older G Leaguers. Buzelis got tossed around by bigger players throughout the season. He could get bumped off his drive, cleared out underneath the rim and completely ran over at times. It would make sense after taking that many beatings, that his legs would be weaker.

Buzelis looked stronger and more explosive in recent workout videos. Out of all the prospects in the 2024 Draft, he could benefit the most from an NBA strength and conditioning coach. A matured and more built out Buzelis could be a problem on both ends.

It also helps that Buzelis got better as the season went on. He became more comfortable getting downhill toward the basket. He could take bumps and was physical around the rim. There is a night and day difference between watching his early Ignite games and the later ones. Buzelis still needs to get better around the rim. He was a fine finisher, but doesn’t have a go-to move at the cup. He struggles to go above, around or through a defender at the hoop. He shot just 47.6% on layups with the Ignite.

There is also the problem of Buzelis’ handle. Yes, he is a better ball-handler than most players his size, but he still has a long way to go in that regard. Buzelis has a fairly high dribble and doesn’t have enough craft off the bounce to keep the ball away from defenders. There were multiple times this season when he would dribble the ball into traffic only for it to get stripped by a defender. He doesn’t beat many players off the bounce either. His best way to bend a defense is with his cuts or on straight line drives.

There also remains a question of who Buzelis can defend effectively at the next level. He’s too slow of foot to guard faster wings, and he’s too weak to guard big ones inside. He’s slow on closeouts and gets lost on a lot of screen actions. He will make up for it by being a decent team defender, but his on-ball defense has a ways to go before he’s a plus defender in the NBA.

Spurs fit

The Spurs system can cover up a lot of Buzelis’ flaws. In San Antonio, Buzelis wouldn’t be asked to be “the guy.” He can operate as a connector and cutter in a system built on ball and player movement. He would thrive cutting and spacing off the attention Wembanyama draws. To fully maximize that fit, his jump shot would need to come back around.

If it does, the Spurs could have a near perfect fit next to Wembanyama. A big wing who can potentially score at all three levels, while providing a shot blocking presence alongside him would help the Silver and Black. The Spurs have helped smaller players put on muscle before (look at Devin Vassell at Florida State compared to now.) If they think they can help Buzelis reach his athletic potential, they could have a core piece on their hands.

Still, concerns will remain around his on-ball defense, ball handling and shooting ability. Spurs General Manager, Brian Wright, loves big and versatile players. Buzelis would fit the bill and give San Antonio another player who could develop into a good starter if everything goes right.

Previous Prospects:

Rob Dillingham

Reed Sheppard

Nikola Topic

Zaccharie Risacher

Stephon Castle

Tidjane Salaun

Ron Holland