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

[Dominator83]

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?

Long term no, but its looking like this marriage is stuck until he raises his value back to the positive side. He needs to have a strong season this coming year. Then, this time next year, he'll have raised some of his on-court value, and also will have only 2 years left on that contract.

[RSP83]

I like that he cited Franz Wagner as somebody that he models his game after. Which IMO is spot on and a realistic target for him. If he becomes Franz Wagner that's a really good core to have for this franchise.

Seems like a guy who genuinely loves playing basketball and competing at the highest level. From the videos on the Internet seems like a tough minded kid with pretty good motor. If only Pat has those qualities in him.

I'm excited to have him on this team going forward.

[waffle]

giddy is good at pushing the ball.

Matas seems like a good finisher....

Who is our best current finisher? Green? It's not a team strength

[MrSparkle]

Well, besides feeling a little confused about Ainge (and about 5 other teams) skipping on him, this was probably a lucky break for Chicago. I liked Holland, but he has a higher bust potential; his shooting is a big project. And that fit on Detroit is a nightmare. Detroit's roster is a talented mess.

I like most the top-10 picks' destinations. Edey on MEM is like a best-case. If he figures out NBA pace, that roster has everything it needs to make Ja-Edey the cutest couple in the NBA. And I like Clingan in POR; just dump Ayton. He sucks. Clingan might actually help us get POR's 15th pick before 2027. And even though it blew my mind, I can see why Ainge took Cody over Matas, for both potential and team fit/building. I think between his last name being Williams, his temperament being described as something between Pat and Snell, his injuries and his looks resembling Snell, and our history with soft picks, I too was dreading him dropping to us. But I can see him developing very well in Utah. Hopefully not too well. Ainge has a reasonably high miss rate with picks, TBF. Usually takes the gambles and lives with the busts. Won huge a number of times.

As for Matas: his length gives him potential to be a scoring mismatch and plus help defender. I think his 3P shot will develop more quickly (2y), but it will be the difference between him being a mediocre rotation player and a plus-starter. I think the young Dunleavy Jr. comp is actually pretty good. Longer arms. I can already say that having a more active cutter (besides vet min Javonte) and dynamic ball handler/scorer at PF is going to be a nice upgrade. We probably haven't had this type of prospect since Deng, as absurd as it sounds. Lauri was a wonderful stretch-big that I guess was mis-developed/mis-utilitized, but he had issues on the defensive end (particularly on help) and he wasn't very knowledgeable off-the-ball. His handles and rebounding were issues.

And before we say Pat.... We won't know until he and Patrick are on the court together, but my initial feeling is that Matas is a little longer, his handles are much further along, his off-ball IQ for cuts/rolls/passes is much better, moves around the rim, his rebounding is better (not gonna be hard to top Pat's 0 RB specials), his reaction time is faster, and he'll probably just put more shots up as opposed to Pat's 3 FGA 0/0/0 nonsense. All that said, he can also have some serious liabilities, and if he continues shooting 27% 3Ps in the NBA, he's going to be hanging out more with Dalen than Patrick. But I dunno - a 6'10 player with all-around skills, IQ and drive? Hard to envision he has nearly as rough a rookie year as Dalen. I see a 19yo who's further ahead in development than rookie Deni and Patrick.

[UcanUwill]

I am Lithuanian, so maybe I am biased, but I do not think that I am. I really like this kid, I think it is save to say he has one of the highest ceilings from this class, no question. But he also has low floor, he is definitely not a sure thing, but I think the value at 11 in a trash draft where number one pick projects to be Bojan Bogdanovic, Nic batum type... if lucky... dice roll on Buzelis is just flat out steal dude. People say they wanted Topic, you mean a guy who scored 7 total Euroleague points in his career, already blew his knee out and was a bench warmer in Zvezda? You want that guy over this kid?

The only thing I really scared of is the fit with Giddey. I also very much like Giddey, I think it was a good trade for Chicago, screw the haters, you do buy low, thats smart. But that said, Buzelis and Giddey are really similar and someone there will just have to learn to shoot the basketball for real, or it can end up being ridiculous fit.

[RedBulls23]

I'm good with this pick. One of the guys I wanted. It's an upside pick but also has a decent floor potential.

The biggest thing for Matas it seems is adding strength. His shooting issues from what I've seen people talk about is fixable. Just needs to work on consistently releasing it from the same spot.

Also I flat out love his confidence.

[NecessaryEvil]

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Future BEST player of the 2024 draft

[Repeat 3-peat]

Believe it's already been posted but lmao. Kid is a little psycho competitively. This story will pick up sometime during the season.

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[ShadyMoney]

My new 2024 plan is underway! This is just the beginning

[NecessaryEvil]

Believe it's already been posted but lmao. Kid is a little psycho competitively. This story will pick up sometime during the season.

Read on Twitter

Bulls got a tall white Kobe

I’m here for it lol

[WindyCityBorn]

giddy is good at pushing the ball.

Matas seems like a good finisher....

Who is our best current finisher? Green? It's not a team strength

LaVine if you are counting guys under contract. Coby White and Ayo are good finishers too.

[Bullflip]

Believe it's already been posted but lmao. Kid is a little psycho competitively. This story will pick up sometime during the season.

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Actually like this. Shows his competitiveness!

[jordanwilliams6]

I keep seeing people call Josh Giddey a forward

He is NOT a forward. AK just said it out of his own mouth

We consistently play 3 ‘guard lineups’. I’m sure we will see plenty of situations where Giddey is playing alongside Coby & Ayo.

[UcanUwill]

If the season started tomorrow he's probably our starting 4:

5: Vuc
4: Buzelis, Phillips
3: Giddey, Terry
2: Zach, Ayo, Bitim
1: Coby, Carter, Ball

I don’t think he’s going to play much early. Kids got to put on some muscle.

I know, but Phillips is a rail too, and it's just the two of them for the moment.

You guys are probably correct, Matas is raw physically and skill vise, but it is different NBA these days. Jaden McDanniels is defensive juggernaut, and he is 6'9 195 pounds.

[R3AL1TY]

Believe it's already been posted but lmao. Kid is a little psycho competitively. This story will pick up sometime during the season.

Read on Twitter

Actually like this. Shows his competitiveness!

Great! A new, young player on the team talking smack and wanting competition. You can't just have nice guys or "I'm just here to do my job" type of players.

[RSP83]

Well, besides feeling a little confused about Ainge (and about 5 other teams) skipping on him, this was probably a lucky break for Chicago. I liked Holland, but he has a higher bust potential; his shooting is a big project. And that fit on Detroit is a nightmare. Detroit's roster is a talented mess.

And even though it blew my mind, I can see why Ainge took Cody over Matas, for both potential and team fit/building. I think between his last name being Williams, his temperament being described as something between Pat and Snell, his injuries and his looks resembling Snell, and our history with soft picks, I too was dreading him dropping to us. But I can see him developing very well in Utah. Hopefully not too well. Ainge has a reasonably high miss rate with picks, TBF. Usually takes the gambles and lives with the busts. Won huge a number of times.

Yes, Ainge is really good with acquiring assets. But he's not necessarily the best drafters. He's picks for Utah have been misses. He did draft Santi Aldama, but ended up trading him to the Grizzlies for more picks! (classic Danny Ainge). So I'm not going to put a lot of stocks on who Ainge is drafting.

He picked the right top lottery talent with Tatum and Brown. Marcus Smart I think do not live up to his hype as top 3 lottery picks. Based on this top 3 picks, I think Ainge like to draft the well known obvious prospects. Because these 3 were the consensus Top 3-5 lottery picks. He does have a knack of drafting solid role players though.

[RSP83]

The way Matas runs the floor, I was thinking of another guy who he reminds me of, who was a top Euro prospect but ended up being a bust. Matas reminds me of Jan Vesely. I think Vesely is Matas worst-case scenario. Vesely is actually a top-flight player in Europe playing for Barcelona. I think Vesely just never able to transition into US culture. It doesn't help that he went to that dysfunctional toxic young Washington Wizards team lead by rookie John Wall, Nick Young, Andray Blatche.

Vesely offensive game is more one dimensional than Matas. But both are high flyers and good weak side defender. Vesely ends up playing near the post in Europe. But he can't play center in the NBA. And he doesn't have the necessary skills to excel as NBA PF. In contrary, I think Matas is a much better prospect and much better talent fit to play PF in the NBA.

[tunit213]

https://youtube.com/shorts/1KNf7xt7Z5Q?si=SK1uWaYDnKOL1Nd2

[riselife]

He is like a new school Detlef Schrempf

[RSP83]

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