Matas Buzelis posted a 38-inch max vertical and a 31-inch standing vertical at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, giving teams a clean measure of the pop that already shows up in his game. For a forward listed at 6'8" to 6'10", that kind of lift helps explain why he keeps showing up as a player who lives above the rim.
That is the part people remember first. Buzelis finishes with big dunks that can turn a possession into a highlight, and his varied dunk package plus fearless drives make him a difficult athlete to miss when he gets a runway. He is also a strong rim protector because his timing and leaping ability let him erase shots at the basket.
The numbers matter because they put hard edges on a profile that has been discussed mostly in terms of upside. Buzelis is at his best above the rim on offense, and his vertical testing backs that up. A 38-inch max vertical is the sort of mark that separates explosive forwards from the rest of the field, and the 31-inch standing vertical shows he can generate lift without much runway. That matters for a player whose value is built on burst, reach and second-jump ability.
But the same film that shows the bounce also shows the limits. Buzelis can still be bumped off his spots in the paint, and he does not always absorb contact well. His handle can get loose when he drives into traffic or faces pressure, his post-game remains a work in progress, and his efficiency can dip against stronger or bigger defenders. He has improved as a rebounder, but he is still too light to consistently hold or create deep position, which is why his finishing and rebounding can still come and go.
That is the part that will decide how fast the athletic tools turn into production. Buzelis is not yet consistently dominant for his size and position, so the next step is not more jumping. It is adding strength and physicality so he can finish through contact, stay balanced when defenders hit him, and bring the same edge to the boards that he already brings to the paint on the defensive end.
The next test comes with Lithuania. During the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, Buzelis is set to make his senior national team debut, and he will be one of the young headliners alongside Kasparas Jakucionis while also expected to learn from veterans such as Jonas Valančiūnas. That setting will not hide his weaknesses. It will ask him to play through them, and it will show quickly whether elite leaping can carry him before the rest of his body catches up.
