Here is all you need to know about Matas Buzelis, the G League Ignite prospect as he prepares for No 1 NBA Draft 2024 pick, know more about his age, height and parents
The NBA Draft cycle for 2024 will begin early this seaon. Fans in the United States will have the opportunity to watch potential NBA players in action this week, despite the fact that we have already had the chance to watch some of the top college prospects make their debuts in offseason tournaments abroad, such as Kentucky’s DJ Wagner and USC’s Isaiah Collier.
Who is Matas Buzelis, bio, age, height, parents, position, scouting report, G League career stats
The “G League Fall Invitational” will be held at NBA G League Ignite in Henderson, Nevada, on September 6 and 8, including two games versus the Perth Wildcats of the NBL in Australia.
The two-game showcase will be our first chance to see Ignite’s prospect-heavy squad in action, which features two players competing for the No. 1 pick in 2024, Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, as well as probable top-10 pick Izan Almansa.
They’ll face off against a Perth team that made it to the NBL Playoffs last year, led by three-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton and 2024 NBA Draft prospect Alexandre Sarr of the NBL Next Stars.
During this showcase, Buzelis and Holland will both aim to leave their imprint on the most recent draft cycle. What is it about Buzelis, though, that puts him in the running to be selected first?
Why Matas Buzelis of G League Ignite is a contender for the first selection in the 2024 NBA Draft?
His name is Matas Buzelis, he’s an 18 years old point forward, stands 6 feet 11, and wants to go first overall in 2024 NBA Draft. Buzelis father, Aidas Buzelis, is a former basketball player who played for multiple Lithuanian Basketball League clubs and also worked as a massage therapist of the Lithuania men’s national basketball team and also has a sister, Sophia, who plays lacrosse at Furman University.
His parents both played professional basketball in Lithuania before immigrating to the Chicagoland area.
For those of you reading about Buzelis for the first time, he was a five-star prospect, a McDonald’s All-American, and the No. 5 player in the Class of 2023, according to the composite rankings of 247Sports.
The 18-year-old Latvian-American turned down a long list of high-major college offers to turn pro and join G League Ignite instead of attending Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State, or UCLA.
Buzelis is a real small forward, despite being 6-11 and 195 pounds, which would have you to believe he would play power forward or centre in the frontcourt.
He is more than capable of producing his own shot off the bounce and moves the ball with assurance when he is on the perimeter. He can take smaller matchups into the post to finish around the rim with coordinated footwork or hit turnaround jumpers with his soft touch, in addition to being a reliable 3-point shooter.
6'10 5-star Matas Buzelis getting buckets at Nike EYBL KC 🪣 He recently chose to bypass college to commit to G League Ignite for the 2023-24 season (after his senior year) pic.twitter.com/zyy2ccTic0
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 9, 2022
He might be better suited to handle perimeter assignments at the next level given his defensive build, but given his height and length, he should have no trouble guarding other frontcourt players once he eventually puts on some weight.
There is no questioning Buzelis’ outstanding potential, but if he wants to be a go-to player, he still needs to strengthen his ball handling and playmaking skills. He still has opportunity to grow as a defender as he becomes stronger.