NEW YORK — With the No. 11 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Chicago area native Matas Buzelis.
Buzelis, who’s parents both played pro basketball in Lithuania before the family moved to Chicago and settled in the southwest suburbs of Willowbrook, played his high school freshman season at Hinsdale Central High School, before he transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, and later Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
Buzelis won Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of New Hampshire as a junior, and after his senior season playing with his younger brother in Kansas, he opted to prepare for a professional basketball career with the NBA’s G-League Ignite, where he averaged 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game across 26 contests.
Here’s a scouting report on Buzelis:
Strengths
The 6-9, 197-pound Buzelis was a top-flight recruit and McDonald’s All-American who bypassed college to play for Ignite. Buzelis, who turns 20 in October, can exploit matchups by scoring over smaller defenders and being quick enough to get past bigger ones. He has shown signs of an all-around offensive game from attacking off the dribble or scoring on step-back shots, averaging 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds for Ignite while also using his length (6-10 wingspan) to average 2.1 blocks and rank fourth in the G League.
Concerns
He’s a willing outside shooter, but he made just 27.3% on 3-pointers with Ignite. He also shot just 67.9% at the foul line. He is also still developing as a playmaker (1.9 assists compared to 2.1 turnovers) and could help himself by adding strength.
For more information on Buzelis and his journey back to his hometown Bulls, take in Josh Frydman’s sit-down interview with the standout basketball prospect that took place back in April:
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