Matas Buzelis‘ draft stock has dipped a little over the course of the 2023/24 season, but the G League Ignite forward isn’t lacking for confidence as the pre-draft process nears. Speaking to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, Buzelis expressed confidence that he’d match up well with Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
“Of course, I want to see him one-on-one,” Buzelis said. “He just doesn’t want to do that with me. His agent will not do that with me, and I know he won’t. It’s a business decision.”
Asked why he feels as if he has an edge over Risacher in a hypothetical 1-on-1 matchup, Buzelis replied, “My advantage is that I have everything over him.”
While Buzelis has spent the season in the G League, Risacher has been playing for JL Bourg in France, so the two prospects haven’t gone head-to-head. Considered a potential No. 1 overall pick when mock drafts for 2024 were first being published last summer, Buzelis is now at No. 6 on ESPN’s board, though he tells Urbonas that he’s attempting not to focus on where he’s projected to be selected.
“I try not to look at it,” Buzelis said. “It’s obviously there, and I see it. But I try to stay in the zone. I know what I’m capable of, and I don’t look at what number I am. I know if I’m getter better, then I’m winning.”
Here’s more on the 2024 draft:
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer made updates to both his 2024 big board and mock draft on Wednesday. Interestingly, UConn’s Stephon Castle is now O’Connor’s highest-ranked NCAA prospect, at No. 2 on his big board, but comes in at No. 8 in his mock.
- Despite Rob Dillingham‘s underwhelming performance in Kentucky’s NCAA tournament loss to Oakland, the freshman guard is still the first college player off the board in the latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, at No. 2.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic identifies a few NBA prospects whose draft stocks have risen or dropped as a result of their March Madness performances. Duke’s Jared McCain and Oregon’s N’Faly Dante are among those who are “up,” while Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Virginia’s Ryan Dunn are a couple names on the “down” list.
- The following college players made announcements within the last week indicating that they plan to test the 2024 NBA draft waters:
- DJ Davis, G, Butler (senior) (Twitter link)
- Note: Davis’ announcement doesn’t explicitly state that he’s testing the waters, but also doesn’t say he’s forgoing his final year of NCAA eligibility.
- Frankie Fidler, F, Omaha (junior) (Instagram link)
- AJ Storr, G/F, Wisconsin (sophomore) (Twitter link)
- Marques Warrick, G, Northern Kentucky (senior) (Instagram link)
- Note: Also entering transfer portal.
- DJ Davis, G, Butler (senior) (Twitter link)
NBA ESPN Mock Draft top 9
Kentucky and Coloado are catching fish (go fishing)
There are only two players left at NCAA tournament
6th pick Donovan Clingan
8th pick Dalton Knecht
NBA basketball is 5 on 5…who cares if you can win a 1 on 1. Weird thought process by that Buzelis kid.
I like Buzelis. He’ll be a solid pro. Good to see he got attitude. Like it
For as soft as this draft was expected to be at the start of the year, it feels like their may be more sneaky good pros than it was originally given credit for. I don’t see a Superstar in the draft, but I see 15-20 solid contributors and potentially more.
15 solid contributors??? The 2023 draft???? Please list.
2024 looks like it might have 3 or 4.
Buzelis is NOT an NBA starter. Buzelis and Ron Holland were among the reasons for G-League Ignite getting destroyed this year. Next year’s high school class ain’t no better. No reason to let them play and get destroyed. No development happens.
When drafts get designated in advance as strong or weak it’s based on what evaluators think about the top guys that figure to come out in the draft. When there’s a lack of an identifiable top tier, a draft will get designated as weak. What does it mean, beyond an expression of evaluator angst? Historically, in terms of aggregate yield, not much. It likely does mean that the teams drafting at the very top of the draft don’t have the same advantage over the field in winding up with the better part of that yield.
For example, compare the much hated 2020 draft class to the universally loved 2021 draft class. Extensions for the 2020 draft class are almost in the books, and there will likely be 5 max extensions (assuming Maxey joins Edwards, Ball, Haliburton and Bane), along with 3-5 other 20 mm/yr extensions. I doubt the 2021 draft class does that much better, if they do better at all. It’s likely, though, that the big $$ deals will be somewhat more concentrated among those drafted higher.