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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
(Ignite: Forward, G League, 6-10)
Overall rank: 4 / Previous rank: 5 (+1) / Best rank: 2 / Worst rank: 8
Matas Buzelis could be the first G League Ignite player selected in this year’s class, thanks primarily to his ball handling and playmaking ability for his size as a frontcourt player.
“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.”
Buzelis has begun March with two double-double games, three consecutive games with four blocks, and a season-high seven assists against the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, heading into a weekend doubleheader against the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Looking ahead, the biggest questions for NBA talent evaluators are whether Buzelis can become a more consistent shooter beyond the arc and if he can improve as an on-ball defender.
“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.”
Overall, Buzelis has consistently been projected to be off the board within the first five picks in each edition of the HoopsHype aggregate mock draft thus far.
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