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Matas Buzelis was one of the highly-touted prospects of the 2024 NBA Draft. Buzelis was a five-star recruit coming out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. He was linked to several college programs such as Florida State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Wake Forest before signing a contract with G League Ignite.
In his lone season in the G League, Buzelis averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. An ankle injury limited him early in the season and had trouble finding his rhythm afterward. But he remained one of the best young players in the league.
One of his NBA player comparisons is Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers. They are both big forwards who can score the basketball although Buzelis has more potential compared to Grant when he entered the league in 2014 out of Syracuse.
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Let's compare Matas Buzelis and Jerami Grant ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Matas Buzelis vs Jerami Grant - Strengths
Some of Matas Buzelis' strengths are his scoring, shotmaking and defense. He can score pretty much anywhere on the half court although he's at his best when in transition. He is athletic and can finish at the rim, while his shooting can still improve.
Buzelis also has a nice bag on offense from pull-ups to fadeaways, but still needs work on consistency. He has a lot of potential as a defender and could reach it as long as he puts work into improving that facet of his game.
Jerami Grant, on the other hand, has the same strengths. He has improved as a scorer and can do it in a variety of ways from the paint, attacking the basket, drawing fouls and hitting threes. He's also a solid defender who is tasked to guard the best perimeter player of the opposition team on a nightly basis.
Matas Buzelis vs Jerami Grant - Weaknesses
It's not new for an incoming rookie like Matas Buzelis to have a weakness in his game. Heading into the NBA Draft, Buzelis still needs to work on his strength, shooting and aggression. He will need to add strength and aggression if he wants to be a complete scorer in the league.
The shooting is just part of the NBA today since it's probably the most important asset for any player. As for Jerami Grant, he's not a good rebounder for a player regularly used as a power forward last season. He's also not good at setting screens, so he should really be played on the wings rather than close to the paint.
Matas Buzelis other NBA comparisons and draft projection
In addition to Jerami Grant, other NBA comparisons for Matas Buzelis include former Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom, Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, Turkish international Hedo Turkoglu, Hall of Famer Toni Kukoc and a young Nicolas Batum with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Detroit Pistons have the number five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They have recently worked out Buzelis, which might mean something or not. But with the Pistons rebuilding again under Trajan Langdon. Buzelis would fit with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson in the starting lineup.
