Pistons Prospect Makes Bold Statement Ahead of 2024 NBA Draft

Detroit Pistons draft prospect Matas Buzelis discusses his season with the G League Ignite.

Feb 16, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Detlef forward Matas Buzelis (13) of the G League | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With the Detroit Pistons picking up the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, their big board is likely shaken up. Heading into lottery day, the Pistons were favored to collect a top-two pick.

With the ping pong balls favoring others, the Pistons suddenly see themselves selecting different prospects in most mock drafts with their pick made official.

The most popular Pistons prospect at this point in the process is the NBA G League Ignite prospect, Matas Buzelis.

Throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season, Buzelis was consistently viewed as a top-ten prospect. That hasn’t changed heading into the big event.

As much as Buzelis has landed praise for the positives he brings to the table for his next team, he hasn’t gone without criticism surrounding his jump shot.

Has that bothered the soon-to-be rookie? Not in the slightest.

Feb 18, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Giraffe Stars forward Matas Buzelis (13) of the G | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

“I know I can shoot,” Buzelis told reporters at the NBA Combine last week. “I know the numbers didn’t really show — everyone’s tripping about it — but I’m not tripping at all. I know I can shoot the ball.”

In 26 games with the Ignite, Buzelis averaged 14 points. While attempting 12 shots from the field per game, he knocked down 45 percent of his shots. From deep, Buzelis struggled in the efficiency department, draining just 27 percent of his shots on 3.4 attempts per game.

“A lot of veterans got hurt,” Buzelis explained. I’m not trying to make excuses. We did have a lot of young guys. You gotta deal with it, you know?”

The Pistons must make sure to surround Cade Cunningham with reliable shooters for the 2024-2025 offseason. On paper, Buzelis doesn’t fit the bill, based on his numbers throughout his first G League run.

But the value on the defensive end of the floor makes Buzelis hard to pass up in that position. And with the incoming rookie confident in his ability to flourish with his shot, the Pistons are likely to keep Buzelis high on their board when they enter the draft next month.