Matas Buzelis has heard the criticism. He’s aware of the narrative.
The notion that the 2024 NBA Draft is one of the weakest in years, without a franchise-changing prospect.
The projected top-10 pick, who spent this year with G League Ignite, has a response to the negativity from scouts, talking heads and analysts.
“How do they know? How do they know what we’re going to be? That’s the question.” the Lithuanian-American forward said Tuesday at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in Manhattan, where the draft prospects met the media on the eve of the first round. “They can say what they want, but how do they know what we’re going to be at the end?”
Buzelis was one of a handful of players to push back on the doubters, to question those who are questioning these prospects.
Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, in play to go as high as third overall to the Rockets, was a vocal defender of this group.
He’s played with many of them through the years, and knows the potential of this class.
“At the end of the day, people say what they say, I’m not going to let what they say bother me,” Sheppard said. “I know how good all these guys are in this draft class, growing up with them and playing against them. I think this whole draft class is really good. Everyone’s kind of excited to prove [the detractors wrong]. … This draft class is really good, and everyone in here is really good at basketball. There’s going to be a lot of people surprised.”
This draft is considered the worst since 2020, when there wasn’t a clear No. 1, similar to this year.
Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher are the two favorites to be called first by the Hawks.
Four years ago, the debate surrounded two one-and-done stars, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman. That draft, in hindsight, turned out to be pretty solid.
Edwards has emerged as one of the best guards in the league.
While Wiseman has been a bust, that draft produced stars such as Tyrese Haliburton (12th) and Tyrese Maxey (21st), along with quality players such as LaMelo Ball (third), Devin Vassell (11th) and Desmond Bane (30th).
This draft, one NBA scout said, lacks that big star — there is no Victor Wembanyama or Zion Williamson, he said — but otherwise, there are quality players to be found throughout the first round, much like the one in 2020.
The scout said there are also similarities to the 2013 class that was led by No. 1 overall flop Anthony Bennett.
But there are players from the draft who are still quality NBA players, from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (eighth) to CJ McCollum (10th) to Steven Adams (12th).
It also included some guy named Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP who went 15th overall.
After the top few picks, it’s like any other draft.
“There’s a lot of depth. It’s a tricky draft,” the scout said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There’s not the top-end talent. You’re still going to be able to get a good rotational-type player. … People are freaking out [because there might not be stars]. To be blunt, people [are] covering their ass.”
The real answers won’t be known until years down the road.
It’s all guesswork for now, projections that sure seem to be pushing the players who will realize a lifelong dream on Wednesday night.
Soon, they will be able to prove everyone wrong.
“I feel like people can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future,” likely lottery pick Rob Dillingham of Kentucky said. “It definitely motivates me a little bit, but also it doesn’t really matter to me because who is saying that? Even if they are [important], we haven’t played yet.”
