Matas Buzelis has embraced the physicality and gritty style of play demanded by the Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan, writes Joe Cowley for the Chicago Sun-Times.
The transformation began in the offseason, when Buzelis added 10 pounds of muscle in preparation for stepping into a starring role for Chicago.
“I said before the season started that this would be a great year of growth for him because he’s going to see things he hasn’t seen his rookie season,” Donovan said. “The thing I love about Matas is he leans into it and he’s eager to improve.”
The second-year forward has seen positives and negatives in his start to the season. He’s currently averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game, and is embracing the increased focus that comes from his newfound status on the team.
“Most of the time the best defender is guarding me and that puts a target on my back,” Buzelis said. “I like that, that’s how I’m going to get better and stride forward.”
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After being selected at 12 in the 2025 draft, it took Noa Essengue 15 games of waiting to make his NBA debut. The patience he displayed in waiting for his chance to take the floor had to extend to his time on it, writes Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. Essengue went scoreless in just under four minutes, with a missed shot being the only stat he registered. Still, he wasn’t discouraged by the outing or what it took to get there. “It was nice to get on the court with my teammates since I’ve worked two or three months now,” Essengue said. “I just enjoyed it. I know I don’t got a lot of time so I just tried to enjoy every moment.” Even that brief appearance provided Donovan with some insights to take away. “I’d like to see him get his motor going a little bit more,” Donovan said, “but I was happy I could throw him in there for a few minutes.”
Donovan hinted that Jalen Smith will likely be in the rotation even when Zach Collinsreturns from wrist surgery, reports Joel Lorenzi (via Twitter), who says that Donovan compared it to how the Spurs and Cavaliers use their big men. “We may have to look at two bigs together some, or playing three bigs rotationally,” Donovan said. “I think we gotta find what’s best to play all three.” Smith has performed well for the 9-7 Bulls, averaging 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per night while shooting 37.1% from three.
The Bulls came out of Saturday’s game against the Wizards with a one-point win, but Nikola Vucevic was unimpressed by the team’s mentality, writes Lorenzi for The Athletic. “For three quarters, we were very soft,” Vucevic said. “We gave no resistance. We didn’t do anything that we talked about. Just played really soft. It was really bad… I don’t think we understand that it’s just not sustainable to play this way.”