CHICAGO — The hype began in earnest for Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis back in summer league. With one electric dunk, anticipation took off for the No. 11 pick to make his NBA debut.
Buzelis, in his second summer-league contest in Las Vegas, hauled in a throw-ahead pass and unleashed a furious poster flush over two Golden State Warriors players. The first defender offered token resistance, rising along with Buzelis only to drift out of his path. The second trailed the play and gave his all with a valiant attempt at a chase-down block. He ended up getting it the worst.
Not only did Buzelis finish the play through the contact — which sent him and the defender to the floor — but the lanky rookie, who turned 20 years old on Sunday, also stared down his victim before either could stand from their backsides.
And with that, expectations immediately shifted.
Matas Buzelis SHINED at the NBA Summer League in Vegas! 🤩 #NBASummer
The former @gleagueignite star posted 16.4 PPG, 2.0 SPG, and 2.0 BPG for the @chicagobulls. He dropped 28 PTS on the Warriors and was T-8th among all players in blocks. pic.twitter.com/2ojNlVwJ5z
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 27, 2024
Then summer league ended, and word spread that Buzelis was holding his own in voluntary team workouts, which included a player-organized minicamp in Miami in September. No longer was the promising first-round pick surrounded by fringe NBA players and other hopefuls. Weeks before his 20th birthday, Buzelis managed to leave quite the impression around the office.
His head coach called him “fearless.” One teammate described Buzelis, a 6-foot-10 forward, as the Bulls’ most athletic player — ranking him ahead of two-time slam dunk contest champion Zach LaVine.
“I can make a strong argument for Matas being the most athletic,” Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu said, after being reminded of LaVine’s presence. “Julian (Phillips) is right there, but Matas, with him being taller … I don’t know — you’ll see.”
LaVine didn’t disagree.
“He’s a jumping jack at (20), man,” LaVine said. “I think I know a little bit about that.”
But there’s so much more to Buzelis than athleticism. His combination of size and skill with that athleticism is what makes him intriguing and why there is internal belief that he can blossom into a Franz Wagner type. The Bulls watched the Orlando Magic select Wagner three years ago with the eighth pick, a selection Chicago sent to the Magic as part of the Nikola Vučević trade.
Buzelis offers similar versatility, and the Bulls’ lack of size in the frontcourt has created a pathway for the rookie to steal minutes. On draft night, few figured he had a chance of cracking the rotation. Even on a revamped Bulls roster transitioning to a youth movement, there were no guarantees.
That all changed by the start of training camp.
“There’s no question he’s getting on the floor for us,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said following the team’s first practice.
As much as anything, the Bulls rave about how much Buzelis is willing to learn. Donovan recalled meeting with Buzelis after the draft, and the franchise’s newest hope didn’t hold back.
“He was like, ‘Am I going to be in the G League?’” Donovan remembered.
Donovan essentially responded with, “We’ll see what happens.” He didn’t expect what Buzelis said next.
“He says, ‘I just want to let you know I don’t have a problem with that. Whatever the organization thinks I’ve got to do to get better, I’m all for that,’” Donovan said. “From day one, he just wants to try to get better.”
Buzelis already has adopted a reputation for being vocal, whether he’s confidently talking trash on the court or, more humbly, asking questions to anyone who’ll add value. He said he doesn’t limit his search for knowledge to veteran players like LaVine, Vučević or Coby White. They provide pointers, but he views everyone in the building as a resource. They all can help make him a better player.
“Everybody says, ‘These are my vets.’ And then they name two guys,” Buzelis said. “I try to talk to everybody because I’m trying to steal stuff from everybody.”
The rook Matas Buzelis can HOOP.
12 points | 5 rebounds | 3 assists pic.twitter.com/ibTZuRd7Hv
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 9, 2024
Based solely on his attitude and approach, it would be difficult to question Buzelis’ desire. But it becomes impossible the moment he steps on the court and shows his assertiveness. He’s not always going to be effective, as his 1-of-9 shooting performance in Saturday’s preseason home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies showed following an encouraging preseason opener at the Cleveland Cavaliers. But with Buzelis, effort is never absent.
“He works really hard, and he has a motor,” LaVine said. “You can’t really teach a motor. For some guys, you’ve got to get them going or they’ve got to have a light lit under them. He’s ready to go from the jump, and it’s hard to teach that. I think that will just continue to get better when his skills get better. He’s going to be good.”
How good? With how rapidly the narrative surrounding Buzelis has evolved, it’s a natural question. Could he become a franchise centerpiece similar to Wagner in Orlando?
One thing the Bulls can’t afford is for Buzelis to be another late bloomer — and especially not one who gets away from Chicago only to find success elsewhere.
“He’s going to be a really good player. I’ve got all the confidence in the world, but I’m always a little bit guarded,” Donovan said. “Sometimes we end up labeling somebody for what they’re going to be. We don’t know what he’s going to be, but everybody feels like he’s got really good upside, and I love him.”
Like virtually all rookies, Buzelis must add strength to contend with older, more experienced pros. He also needs to improve his defense, specifically keeping his man in front of him but more generally team and league concepts, coverages, tactics and tendencies. Buzelis’ length, however, helps him recover well and adds sneakily effective support. His instincts and timing give him value as a weak-side defender and a quasi rim protector.
Offensively, Buzelis is working to improve his outside shot. But he’s stood out with his feel for the game, ballhandling, court vision, unselfishness as a passer and his ability to attack the rim.
“He keeps trying to be aggressive, and he keeps playing. He stays aggressive, and he’s got a fearlessness to him the way he plays,” Donovan said. “But it’s going to be (up and down). What I’m more worried about is I don’t want the fearlessness and him being so wrapped up in (results) that he beats himself up or gets down on himself and loses his motor and his energy.”
Nothing about Buzelis screams “the type to lose confidence.” He’s already adopted a rigorous daily schedule to help him acclimate to the NBA. It starts with a 7 a.m. alarm, arriving at the team’s training facility by 8 a.m. and eating breakfast before a series of workouts. He begins on the court with ballhandling drills then moves into form shooting. Next, it’s weights. He’ll then get up shots before practice, go through practice, fire up more shots after practice and finish with free throws. When that’s complete, Buzelis will eat and sleep before working out again.
“Consistency is the most important thing for me. Staying the course, doing everything the same,” Buzelis said. “Every single day has to be the same thing for me.”
Such daily deposits typically turn into remarkable results.
“As a young player, he’s got a tremendous upside,” Donovan said. “But every guy has their own trajectory of how they get better. I just want to see him get better and continue to maintain the attitude that he has. That’s the thing that’s been great.”
(Photo: David Richard / Imagn Images)
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