Matas Buzelis Calls Out Top NBA Prospect Risacher: ‘He Just Doesn’t Want to See Me’
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVJune 25, 2024
David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images
Matas Buzelis hasn’t yet arrived in the NBA, but he may have already identified his competitive rival at the next level.
The former NBA G League Ignite forward told Stadium’s Shams Charania that fellow prospect Zaccharie Risacher “just doesn’t want to see me” in a one-on-one battle:
Shams Charania @ShamsCharaniaPotential top-5 NBA pick Matas Buzelis sits down with @Stadium: “I respect Zach (Risacher) as a playerâŠHe just doesn’t want to see me. I’m just going to keep it real with everybody.”
On “disrespect” of Ignite shutdown; Franz Wagner, PG, Andrei Kirilenko, Jaden McDaniels; more: pic.twitter.com/nZpLsoCkVp
In a March interview with Donatas Urbonas of Basket News, Buzelis laid down the challenge before Risacher and made it abundantly clear who he believes to be the superior talent.
“Of course, I want to see him one-on-one. He just doesn’t want to do that with me,” he told Urbonas. “His agent will not do that with me, and I know he won’t. It’s a business decision. … My advantage is that I have everything over him.”
Buzelis’ confidence won’t do much to change how NBA teams view him as a prospect.
The 19-year-old had a disappointing season with the Ignite. In 26 games, he averaged 14.3 points and 1.9 assists to 2.1 turnovers. He also shot just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.
As a result, Buzelis slid down draft boards slightly.
In November, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected him to be the third overall pick in the 2024 draft. Now, Wasserman has him going fifth to the Detroit Pistons:
“By draft night, each of the top six teams except for the Houston Rockets are expected to have seen Matas Buzelis. Teams believe he’s jumped ahead of Ignite teammate Ron Holland, and it feels like the intrigue around his athleticism and scoring versatilityâand the upside it theoretically createsâcontinues to grow among teams trying to determine their top prospects during this final evaluation period.”
Risacher, on the other hand, sits atop Wasserman’s mock draft, and is described as “a perceived safe pick with a valued archetype and pathways to improve and bust through the three-and-D level that he brings to JL Bourg.”
There’s always a layer of intrigue whenever rookies face off. Bragging rights are on the line, and fans are eager to draw early conclusions about which player will ultimately have the better career.
Buzelis is certainly doing his part to play up his future meetings with Risacher.
