Amid the dog days of the offseason, talk of Matas Buzelis’ breakout reached an all-time high. Pundits pegged the 21-year-old as a future All-Star—an expectation rooted firmly in reality. The 6-foot-9 wing’s potential is vast. He can shoot from deep, attack the rim with grace, and get teammates involved when needed. Defensively, Buzelis is a sneaky weakside shot-blocker with the body and athleticism to grow into a staunch point-of-attack defender.
However, that buzz quickly softened once the season began. While Buzelis played well, a full-fledged breakout never fully materialized. After a modestly strong start, he slipped into a brief sophomore slump in November, averaging just 12.