HENDERSON, Nev. — The NBA G League Ignite has built up from quiet side project for the league to a legitimate force in recruiting and development for young basketball players across the world. This season, new additions Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis will both vie to be the No. 1 overall pick — on the same roster.
Locked On NBA Big Board host Rafael Barlowe discussed both prospects and how Ignite will balance all its talent on a recent episode of the podcast.
“There could be a chance where the first two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft could come from the same team, and we haven’t seen that happen since Kentucky when Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist played for the same team,” Barlowe explained.
“He has the skill set of your modern-day wing,” Barlowe said of Buzelis. “Every team is looking for a wing that can handle, shoot, defend.”
Buzelis is projected as the top overall pick by most analysts preseason.
“Holland is the exact opposite of Buzelis,” Barlowe explained. “He has the best motor that I’ve seen in a while … he is someone that can impact the game without taking a single jump shot or without having a single play run for him.”
Beyond those two, international prospects Thierry Darlan and Izan Almansa will fight for playing time despite a stacked roster and injury concerns.
Ignite has been fairly boom or bust in terms of scouting evaluations, with players mostly going either in the top 10 or the second round.
“Scouts just don’t have a fair assessment on the Ignite so far, which is weird considering they have produced four top-10 picks in the last three years,” Barlowe said.