Chicago’s youngest and most talented trio of players joined one of the largest basketball podcasts yesterday. Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Ayo Dosunmu appeared on “The Young Man And The Three” channel to talk about the Bulls’ start to the year, their career-defining moments, and the future of the franchise. Chicago’s future rests in the hands of these three, and all three have shown flashes of All-Star potential. This season, Giddey has been a surefire All-Star, Buzelis is making a case for the league’s Most Improved Player award, and Dosunmu has been one of the best players off the bench in the NBA. One of the highlights of the one-hour-long podcast was Buzelis speaking about the moment he knew the NBA was an entirely different stage.
Billy Donovan Humbled Him Quickly
Buzelis’s rookie year featured plenty of peaks and troughs. For the first half, he was coming in with the second unit, playing sparingly depending on his defensive consistency, and struggling to find a consistent role offensively. Head coach Billy Donovan reiterated throughout last season that defense would earn Buzelis minutes and the eventual starting job. After February, when Chicago traded away Zach LaVine and fully leaped into a new direction as an organization, Buzelis was inserted into the starting five for the remainder of the year. He would finish his rookie year with 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per night, with 31 starts under his belt and an All-NBA Rookie Second Team nod. His most humbling experience came against the New Orleans Pelicans, on a play nobody could have guessed would be his answer.
I thought this was a very insightful story from Matas Buzelis when asked about his "Welcome to the NBA" moment.
Matas shared a behind-the-scenes look at having a tough conversation in the film room, which also reinforces what we've frequently heard about his desire to be coached… https://t.co/ektMQbfB3X pic.twitter.com/h2gmXrd93e
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) November 14, 2025
Most players experience embarrassment on the professional level via a posterizing dunk they’re on the wrong end of, an impossible defensive task, or a massively overmatched opponent. Buzelis’s seems to have been from the realization that the shots or play style from previous levels would not be applicable against the best of the best. Once a shot he refers to as a “go-to” was immediately rejected by Donovan for future use.
Still Growing Pains, But Improving
Chicago’s second-year talent has made massive strides since first joining the team. Through 11 games, he’s averaging 14.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per night, and shooting better both from the field and three-point land. He’s attacking the rim consistently with decisiveness, shooting the three ball with stability and confidence, and working on his defensive versatility. One of the growing pains for Buzelis has been guarding the power forward position. Many of his matchups are stronger, more powerful forwards who have forced the youngster into early foul trouble, which in turn has lessened his minutes and production. In five of his first 11 games, he’s had four or more fouls, which has impacted how much he’s on the floor. Donovan has sent a message lately by benching him down the stretch of games when he’s racked up too many infractions. Still, the sophomore appreciates the tough coaching and knows that it’s best in the long run.
Billy Donovan didn’t hesitate to sit Matas Buzelis against Sacramento.
He also didn’t hold back in giving him the LeBron matchup.
After a career night, the rookie explained why he benefits from this type of coaching: “Whenever he takes me out for a mistake, I get better.” pic.twitter.com/uHPXAhCYYh
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) March 23, 2025
Stay tuned to see if Buzelis’s production can continue throughout his second season, and if he’s in the runnning for the league’s Most Improved Player honor.