NEWSLETTER
I had to jog into NOW Arena briskly. While it wasn’t as cold as it could have been on a Thursday in early March, my parking spot was several rows deep in the lot. Plenty of fans were filing into the Hoffman Estates arena for a night of G-League basketball. Normally, that sight would have caught me off guard. But not this time.
While the 9-12 Windy City Bulls would have loved to take credit for the filled seats, they knew they couldn’t. The real reason for an unusually buzzing crowd was standing six-foot-ten in Reverse Grinches. Matas Buzelis was warming up with a few jumpers, preparing for his first game back in his hometown since choosing to join the G-League Ignite.
The 19-year-old had his entire family in attendance, as well as a couple of friends. A film crew for a G-League docu-series titled “The Break, presented by The General” also stood baseline ready to capture everything from his high-flying jams to his smiling grandparents.
Having Buzelis in the building felt like a big deal, and that’s because it was.
“For us, it’s very important to be in Chicago right now because it’s important to Matas,” Director of “The Break” Taylor Sharp said. “This date was circled on the calendar for us at the very beginning of the season.”
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The word “prodigy” doesn’t feel too big for Matas Buzelis. By all accounts, he was an excellent athlete, who first channeled his skills as a competitive swimmer. Despite a seemingly bright future in the pool, basketball quickly became the lane once he stepped into Hinsdale Central High School.
Before even suiting up for the varsity team, Buzelis ended up turning heads. The University of Illinois offered him a scholarship during his sophomore season, per the Chicago Tribune, which underscored just how bright the future was for the tall and wiery forward.
The ascension happened fast. Buzelis was quickly uprooted from his hometown and found himself in New Hampshire playing at the renowned Brewster Academy. The school has been a home to multiple professional basketball players, including Will Barton and Devonte Graham.
After taking home the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award, Buzelis made his way back to middle America. He would play his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy – a school that had also recently seen NBA youths walk the halls (like Shadeon Sharpe and Gradey Dick).
A 2023 McDonald’s All-American nod followed, and Buzelis now had a decision. Would he continue his unconventional journey up the league ranks – which now had him in talks to go No. 1 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft – or return to the more familiar route?
On May 31, 2023, the five-star recruit surely disappointed a lot of college coaches. Buzelis chose to join the NBA’s developmental team, the G-League Ignite. He would go on to spend the next season facing off against clear-cut pro-level talent, and it sure sounds like he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“Playing against the best players in practice, like Ron [Holland], makes me an even better player I’d say. Playing against the best is always the best opportunity,” Buzelis told Bleacher Nation in a phone interview during his G-League season.
You could say Buzelis was born to play basketball. Both his parents played professionally in Lithuania, as did his grandparents. He’s also long been close with current New Orleans Pelicans big Jonas Valanciunas, whom Buzelis said he remembers seeing play at the United Center when he came to face the Chicago Bulls.
But Buzelis’ basketball roots aren’t entirely responsible for his coming leap into the NBA.
“It definitely helped me, but I’d say I just work on my game a lot and just be in the gym, so that’s where all that came from,” Buzelis said.
That work started in the Chicagoland area, and this undoubtedly left an impression on the projected lottery pick. Despite spending his formative years on the move, Buzelis talks about Chicago basketball in the same way that many locals do.
“Basketball is like a religion in Chicago,” Matas Buzelis told BN. “Everybody wants to play basketball. And, being from there, I have a chip on my shoulder when I play. That’s amazing that I’m from there and got to experience the city.”
Buzelis specifically noted his time playing elite competition for Mac Irvin Fire when discussing that chip. And it sure shows up when you watch him take the floor.
While his G-League Ignite team may have been blown out 117-87 by the Windy City Bulls, Buzelis arguably looked like the best player on the court. He finished the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 assists. Sure, he shot only 9-20 from the field, but the reason NBA scouts remain enchanted by his potential was easy to see.
Buzelis plays the kind of game that belongs in the modern NBA. Not only does he possess an elite six-foot-ten frame, but he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack. He has the size to finish over smaller wings and the athleticism to maneuver his way past more lumbering bigs.
Buzelis may not be the most coordinated ball-handler – he still comes off like a teenager growing into his body – but he’s remarkably light on his feet. He effortlessly moves like a guard at times, which is something he attributes to his early years picking up the sport.
“When I was younger I was playing at the point guard spot because I was taller than everybody and my coach just put me at the point guard spot,” Buzelis laughed. “I think I gained my skills from just playing point guard [and] I was playing big. So I have the overall game from playing all those positions.”
But don’t be fooled – Buzelis can play with power.
What arguably stood out most during his battle with the Windy City Bulls was his ability to turn swiftness into nastiness. One moment he’d be floating off the ball, and the next he’d be shaking the entire backboard.
Maybe it’s that Chicago chip on his shoulder, but Buzelis acts like he’s got something to prove when he goes for a jam.
“Yeah, for sure,” Buzelis replied when asked about his fearless dunking. “I’m 6’10,” so I’m going to try to go dunk everything. But also – before the game – I’m always thinking like a big. I’m going to go score in the paint because I’m tall and it’s easier, and then my jump shot is going to open up.”
The potential of Buzelis’ shooting stroke might be the most tantalizing part of his game. While he shot only 27.3 percent from long range in his one year with G-League Ignite on 3.4 attempts per game, the shooting motion could’ve looked a lot worse. The foundation for efficiently expanding his range to the next level is there, and Buzelis knows it.
“Of course, I’ve been working on that,” Buzelis said of his long-range shooting. “But I know I’m going to be a good shooter. I’m not really worried about what the numbers say this season.”
Buzelis does the nearly impossible task of living uber-confident without dipping even a toe into the pool of cockiness. He seemingly understands that hard work got him where he is today and will get him to where he wants to be tomorrow.
And he happened to get a taste of tomorrow in February.
Buzelis found himself at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, as part of the NBA’s Rising Stars event. He suited up for a team comprised entirely of G-League players under head coach Detlef Schrempf. Viewed largely as the underdog against Team Pau Gasol – which featured emerging NBA stars like Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller – Buzelis stole the show.
Despite Miller draped all over him, Buzelis hit the turnaround mid-range jumper on the baseline to give his team the shocking 41-36 victory. While Team Detelf would go on to lose in the Rising Stars finale to a squad that sported OKC starters Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Buzelis left an impression.
“To bring it at the All-Star stage and to be right next to the rookie of the year candidates, and to hit the game-winning shot, and to do it with the same smile on his face and ease, I think that was really validating,” Director Taylor Sharp told BN.
Matas Buzelis of the @nbagleague Ignite wins it ‼️
Team Detlef advances to the #PaniniRisingStars Championship and will face Team Jalen 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/eqErAqx8lw— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2024
***
Matas Buzelis doesn’t run from the spotlight. From the highs of an All-Star Weekend game-winner to the lows of a 2-32 record with the G-League Ignite, Buzelis embraced a journey that was all captured on film. The Break docu-series will serve as a time capsule few players get to open later in life.
“There is a lot of pride for us in diving deep into a story that is only going to continue to flourish even after we’re done filming,” Taylor Sharp said.
Despite being only 19 years old, the ability to see his hard work on screen is something Buzelis already relishes.
“People can see what the pro life is like and being around professionals,” Matas Buzelis said. “And I’m thankful for them for documenting the season. It was my first professional season, so it means a lot.”
If Buzelis enjoyed the pro-life before, he’s in for a treat. The NBA Draft Combine just wrapped up, and Buzelis has impressed over his first few days back in his hometown. His 10.73 lane agility time was the sixth-best among participants, while his 2.90-second shuttle run ranked in the top 10, per NBA dot com. The high-flying was also on full display, as he finished 17th with a 38-inch max vertical.
Many already had the forward climbing up draft boards in recent weeks, but his performance at Wintrust Arena in Chicago should only continue that trend. Indeed, recent mock drafts for both Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report have Buzelis going as high as No. 5 in late June. Considering the undefined nature of this year’s draft class, there is no telling how high Buzelis’ stock may rise.
If one thing is for sure, however, the chance of him playing in his own backyard is shrinking. The Bulls will not hear their name called until the No. 11 pick in the draft. Nevertheless, Chicago will always be a part of the Buzelis story.
You can check out Matas Buzelis’ journey back to Chicago on The Break, presented by The General below or on YouTube here …
