Matas Buzelis Showcased Complimentary Role in Ignite-Perth Matchup
Wednesday’s matchup between the G League Ignite and the Perth Wildcats yielded plenty of star prospect performances.
Ron Holland poured on 23 points in a fiery performance that looked No. 1 worthy, and Alex Sarr put together his own case with 17 points and six blocks, exhibiting strong two-way prowess.
Matas Buzelis, a former Sunrise Christian forward who many think could make a push for the No. 1 overall spot in the 2024 NBA Draft, didn’t get off to the best start.
He was tentative offensively, not searching out the ball or staying exceptionally active off-ball. And despite utilizing his length on defense, his strength against professional players yielded some questions.
By the end of the game, however, Buzelis’ talent was able to shine through. He looked much more comfortable in the second half, eventually finishing with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting, grabbing five boards, blocks two shots, dishing two assists and nabbing one steal.
Even more, his role while scoring the ball was complimentary of his co-stars, something that will be pivotal to his stock rising throughout the Ignite’s season.
With firepower in Holland, Izan Alamansa, Thierry Darlan, Tyler Smith and more, it’s going to be hard to stand out at times on this Ignite roster, creating another challenge for the forward.
The Ignite are going to have to get creative in order to get Buzelis on-ball reps this season. So if he can manage to tap into the same complimentary skillset he did on Wednesday in order to showcase his skills, NBA teams will almost certainly take notice.
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