NBA Summer League 2024: Hot Takes on Buzelis, Kolek, Burns and More from Day 9 (2024)

The final day of the NBA Summer League's regular season is complete and the playoffs are now set to begin on Sunday.

Many top stars were out for the final day of action for various reasons. Atlanta Hawks top pick Zaccharie Risacher and Washington Wizards rookie Alex Sarr both did not play on Saturday, along with Los Angeles Lakers rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

With the playoffs starting on Sunday, it's likely those exciting players and more will be back in action.

But even with some of the top picks not playing, there were still some exciting performances from some rookies who might have gone overlooked in the draft.

Here's a look at Saturday's action as well as some notable performances.

Day 9 Results

Sacramento Kings 87, Phoenix Suns 77

Washington Wizards 91, Milwaukee Bucks 79

Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Indiana Pacers 93

New York Knicks 90, Atlanta Hawks 82

Los Angeles Lakers 107, Chicago Bulls 81

Denver Nuggets 91, New Orleans Pelicans 82

Oklahoma City Thunder 88, Dallas Mavericks 79

Matas Buzelis Still a Work in Progress, Showed Potential at Summer League

Matas Buzelis certainly wasn't the biggest name in this year's draft class, but the Chicago Bulls got a player who could go on to have a strong career.

The G League Ignite product who went 11th overall had some solid moments throughout Summer League, but also raised a few concerns. One of the biggest was his efficiency as he shot 33.7 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from deep in five games.

On Saturday, he had 10 points and four rebounds on a lackluster 3-of-11 from the field.

But one area where he showed promise was his physicality. There were some questions about whether Buzelis would be able to go up against NBA size with his 6'10", 209-pound frame, but he showed that he's not afraid to attack the basket, getting to the free throw line 27 times.

He also showed off some athleticism that had Bulls fans hyped to watch him play this year.

Tyler Kolek Could be Elite Passer

Another prospect who went a bit under the radar, Tyler Kolek, has had a promising showing for the New York Knicks at Summer League.

The second-round pick hasn't been much of a scoring threat, but has shown off some impressive skills as a passer over the past few weeks. He's averaged seven assists per game in Summer League, which is a solid number considering games are shorter than traditional NBA matchups.

On Saturday, Kolek finished with six points and six assists in just 14 minutes.

The Marquette product will likely need some time to develop, perhaps in the G League, but it seems he will eventually be a solid NBA player.

DJ Burns Still Looking to Earn Roster Spot After Summer League

As an undrafted player, DJ Burns hasn't been at the top of the Cleveland Cavaliers' priority list in terms of getting rookies playing time.

When he has been on the court, he's had some solid moments, but perhaps not enough to prove that the Cavs should sign him to an NBA contract. On Saturday, Burns had eight points on 3-of-6 from the field, but he had just one rebound—not exactly ideal for someone expected to play down low.

After what will likely be Burns' final Summer League game, fans expressed that he could eventually find his way to an NBA roster with the right development.

Burns will now look to use the rest of the summer to continue getting better as he searches for a permanent role in the NBA.