The Atlanta Hawks are juggling between three prospects with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, but one other prospect believes his name was almost added to the pot.
G League Ignite's Matas Buzelis has some of the highest upside in the class as a crafty, athletic wing. However, poor shooting splits with the Ignite have pushed him down draft boards in recent weeks. Buzelis shot 44.5% from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range. He commented on the possibility of improved shooting, sealing him as the top selection in Wednesday's draft.
"It's not really frustrating to me," Buzelis said on the Numbers On The Board podcast at Chicago's NBA Draft Combine. "I just know it's going to take a lot of reps. I shot really well in practice, it just was the game. You know, it's funny because everyone says it's a wide open draft, and if I shot well this season, even like 37%, I'm the lock No. 1 pick, plain and simple."
Buzelis averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 26 games last season, proving himself worthy of at least a top-5 pick. More consistency from the outside may have sparked chatter for the top spot, but it's expected the Hawks will select one of Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, or Donovan Clingan if they remain at No. 1.
