2024 NBA Draft - Chicago Bulls select Matas Buzelis with the 11th pick

[The Box Office]

Some people here still penciling in Zach Lavine for long term.

What you gonna do next? Pencil in Lonzo Ball back in the starting line up?

[Chi town]

Side note, he was playing hurt at the beginning of the year. I believe he shot 39% from 3 over his last 10 games of the season.

Regardless, you can see the form is there. He has a very nice looking shot, technically. I am confident he can develop into a perfectly serviceable 3 pt shooter within a couple of years. The foundation is clearly there.

He's not like Holland (who I also loved) whose shot is much more of a rebuild project.

I said before the draft that I wanted Holland but you are dead right. I have no idea what happened tonight. I thought Matas was clearly the better player and wouldn't even be available.

Me too.

Matas has such great feel. He gets stronger and tight up the shot he could be dangerous.

He will be playing hard for his hometown team too.

I see him getting 20mpg next season

[coldfish]

Some people here still penciling in Zach Lavine for long term.

What you gonna do next? Pencil in Lonzo Ball back in the starting line up?

Chicago can't find a suitor for Zach. He is going to be gone eventually but it might take some time. No one wants his contract.

[GoBlue72391]

I thought Phillips was a 3/2? He's a 4?

He's a 4/3 and occasional small-ball 5.

[Dez]

I swear to God I will hunt down the people who keep saying Giddey is a forward.

[Chi town]

Some people here still penciling in Zach Lavine for long term.

What you gonna do next? Pencil in Lonzo Ball back in the starting line up?

Chicago can't find a suitor for Zach. He is going to be gone eventually but it might take some time. No one wants his contract.

He will ball out and get a good pick next draft in a much better draft

[kodo]

I like the pick. Mostly I like that they "got their guy" without having to trade up. Maybe this has been discussed already, but any thoughts on why he dropped? Or was, like, 4-12 pretty much interchangeable?

He was supposed to go 5 to the Pistons, but they picked Holland very early (we were expected to take him or Carter).
So we basically swapped with the Pistons without actually changing positions.

Even though he dropped 5 spots, in terms of position there was only 1 rank change. For SFs instead of going Risacher - Buzelis - Holland it went Risacher - Holland - Buzelis.

[SalmonsSuperfan]

I like the pick. Mostly I like that they "got their guy" without having to trade up. Maybe this has been discussed already, but any thoughts on why he dropped? Or was, like, 4-12 pretty much interchangeable?

He was supposed to go 5 to the Pistons, but they picked Holland very early (we were expected to take him or Carter).
So we basically swapped with the Pistons without actually changing positions.

Even though he dropped 5 spots, in terms of position there was only 1 rank change. For SFs instead of going Risacher - Buzelis - Holland it went Risacher - Holland - Buzelis.

Thanks. Here's to hoping that the Pistons reached for 2024 Pat Williams and we end up with Tyrese Halliburton.

[chitownsports4ever]

Some people here still penciling in Zach Lavine for long term.

What you gonna do next? Pencil in Lonzo Ball back in the starting line up?

Chicago can't find a suitor for Zach. He is going to be gone eventually but it might take some time. No one wants his contract.

I think they have a couple of suitors but I think they just have to decide how big of a hit do they want to take on the trade. There are several teams with a bucket of hot garbage and a late 1st rd pick waiting with open arms so they are probably gonna wait until fa starts to see if they could get a 3rd team involved

[MGB8]

Love the highlight video. More than what I had seen since hadn’t looked too much into him. Don’t agree with the Wagner comps - in that I have a hard time projecting from that video an nba translation to something akin to Frank’s handle and all-around “big-wing” game. From the highlights, Matas seems a bit stiffer athletically, but also more explosive, than Wagner.

But, actually, the AK47 comps seem more plausible after watching that. Varied skillset on both ends with explosion and surprising quickness, aggression, smarts… if he gets strong enough and that shot becomes consistent… an AK47 switchblade “modern-4” who can switch out and guard wings for a bit (but don’t want him doing it full time) plus help defend, stretch the floor, drive, pass, finish from a variety of spots…

It is easy to see why he was so highly rated by many.

[burlydee]

This Buzelis pick is why you don't package anything with Lavine. Eventually something will open up via trade or Lavine will get with the program and start buying into his role. He doesn't have much choice.

[GoBlue72391]

I swear to God I will hunt down the people who keep saying Giddey is a forward.

Tall people can't play PG, don't you know that? /s

[NecessaryEvil]

This Buzelis pick is why you don't package anything with Lavine. Eventually something will open up via trade or Lavine will get with the program and start buying into his role. He doesn't have much choice.

Love Zach but he gotta go, forget buying into anything.

Trade Vucci mane at the deadline for the best package possible and get ready to link Cooper Flagg with Flagg lite (Buzelis)

[Dez]

I swear to God I will hunt down the people who keep saying Giddey is a forward.

Tall people can't play PG, don't you know that? /s

I'll hunt down sarcasm too.

[FecesOfDeath]

I see a lot of Andrei Kirilenko in his game. Dare I say Tyrus Thomas, too.

Just on a cursory glance don't see it, although I admit that just off the bat as a white lanky pretty explosive euro AK47 was the first guy that came to mind. A better comp from a prior age is probably Hedo with more explosion (hopefully).

In today's game he plays like Franz imo. Not nearly as tough (for now) or for that matter a ready made defensive difference maker at 18 coming into the league at three positions -- but the offensive tools are pretty similar imo. Matas might be a bit more explosive finishing but Franz's handle was better coming into the league imo. Both guys can do things with their size that are unstoppable as long as the player has confidence they can execute it. Might take some time.

I hope he can just show some flashes as a scorer this year before taking on more of a role as he ages. Some outburts of 10 on 13 shots once and awhile off the bench will do wonders for his future. If he can do that already, he'll be a good player sooner than later. Here's hoping!

A guy putting up over 2 blocks per game at the 3 is not common, which is why he reminds me of AK47, who was a stat sheet stuffer in Utah, and Tyrus Thomas, who had a similar body type and explosiveness.

I see the Franz comparisons on offense, but defensively I see a different playing style.

[Repeat 3-peat]

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[waffle]

he looks like, and sort of reminds me of

wait for it...

Mike Dunleavy

[waffle]

Yes, a skinny white dude

[The Explorer]

he looks like, and sort of reminds me of

wait for it...

Mike Dunleavy

First comp that came to my mind was Aleksej Pokuševski. Skinny, too skinny.

[Axl Rose]

-

He just said Giddey has great size for a guard. Case closed.