The 2023 NBA rookie draft class was never going to be an easy act to follow. Victor Wembanyama’s presence alone deterred draftniks from even comparing the presumably weak 2024 draft class to the Wembanyama-headlined group of draftees.

Even though the 2023 crop hasn’t turned out as well as some have hoped, Amen Thompson is a future All-Star; his twin, Ausar, should soon follow, and Brandon Miller, Dereck Lively II, Bilal Coulibaly, and Scott Henderson have all gone through growing pains, yet appear to make their marks soon enough.

While not as egregious as many pundits proclaimed, the 2024 NBA Draft was rightfully thin on top-end talent. Zaccharie Risacher received about as little fanfare as possible for the first-overall pick. Yet, Risacher exceeded expectations, as did Alex Sarr, Stephon Castle, Jared McCain, Donovan Clingan, Kel’el Ware, and Matas Buzelis.

Matas Buzelis’s unremarkable G-League season landed him in Chicago

However, unlike the rest of the group, Buzelis was supposed to be a star. The Ringer tabbed Buzelis as the best prospect in summer 2023, while Bleacher Report and ESPN penciled in the 6-foot-10 wing at second-overall in both the conglomerate’s “way-too-early” mock drafts.

Kevin O’Connor, via The Ringer, wrote, “Buzelis projects as the no. 1 pick right now because his versatility could allow him to play virtually any role.” ESPN and Bleacher Report shared similar sentiments, praising the forward’s unique and seemingly limitless skillset.

As we know, Risacher went first, while Buzelis fell to 11, where his hometown Chicago Bulls put a stop to his slide. Buzelis’s slight fall from grace wasn’t entirely expected; both Bleacher Report and NBA.com expected the Detroit Pistons to nab Buzelis with the fifth overall pick.

Nevertheless, Buzelis fell into the Bulls’ laps, and thankfully so. The 20-year-old earned All-NBA Rookie Second Team honors after averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers per game. Most encouraging were Buzelis’ post-All-Star break numbers. In 27 contests following the midseason festivities, he averaged 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 threes per game.

Some might be wondering, how did Buzelis fall outside the top-10 despite being such a heralded prospect? In short, the now-defunct G-League Ignite played a part in Buzelis’ decline.

The Ignite’s inability to develop players was a cause for concern

Instead of singing to play collegiately, the former five-star recruit opted to spend the 2023-24 season with the Ignite—the same team that produced Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, and Scoot Henderson.

Even though the Ignite proved to be an NBA prospect factory, churning out several draftees year after year, the results weren’t necessarily pretty. Among the aforementioned Ignite alum, Green was the only player to shoot above 46 percent from the floor. Additionally, aside from Green, none of the previously mentioned players cleared the NBA average true shooting percentage of 57.6 percent.

Buzelis’ brief season suiting up for the now-defunct squad was arguably worse than every prior Ignite lottery pick. The lanky wing averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game, but he also turned it over 2.2 times per contest and shot merely 27.3 percent on 3.4 three-point attempts per game.

The then-19-year-old’s slight frame, developing shot, and loose handle were magnified in an unstructured environment, teeming with kids, taking on NBA veterans on a nightly basis. In Buzelis’ lone season with the Ignite, the team went 2-32, averaging a league-worst 102.0 points per game.

Essentially, Buzelis played a full season of disorganized summer league basketball with the Ignite, in part, causing his draft-day slide. Scouts became hesitant predicting Buzelis as a top-end player, instead, echoing sentiments of “high potential” rather than a plug-and-play skillset. Thus, the Bulls have the Ignite to thank for Buzelis’ slide. If he had opted to attend Kentucky, or another university he was offered by, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him selected in the top three.