There have been moments in the expected Matas Buzelis breakout season.
Just not enough.
And with 26 games now on Buzelis’ sophomore NBA resume it’s time for that to change for the Bulls forward. If this iteration of the reload is expected to have any sort of legs, it better.
As far as the 2024 draft class goes, Buzelis has proven to be a value pick at No. 11. No. 2 pick Alex Sarr has taken a huge jump for Washington, while No. 4 pick – and the Rookie of the Year – Stephon Castle has star potential written all over him.
Buzelis sits seventh in scoring in the class with 13.4 points per game, tied for fifth in blocks with 1.3 per game, and 10th in rebounding at 5.3. Good, but doesn’t scream great. Considering Buzelis’ skillset and athleticism, jammed into a 6-foot-8 package, there have been too many underwhelming nights.
Changing that between now and the February trade deadline should be the main focus for the organization.
Not “competitive integrity,” not positioning in the standings for play-in game disappointment, and not getting the rotation healthy so executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas can flex his depth.
Those can be by-products of Buzelis escalating his game toward All-Star level, but they can’t have priority. The Association is pretty Darwinistic. It is survival of the fittest between the haves and the have nots. Karnisovas & Co. have failed in understanding how to add star power, pushing the chips instead on raising a star from in-house. So, raise him. There is a realistic scenario in which the only two Bulls starters returning next season are Josh Giddey and Buzelis.
That should keep Bulls fans up at night if only the current product wasn’t making them so sleepy. Buzelis taking major steps forward, however, turns apathy into excitement.
So how does that happen? First and foremost, it falls on Buzelis.
Coach Billy Donovan has put a checklist of expectations in front of Buzelis, and he needs to start focusing on them. Staying out of foul trouble, attacking the glass, and guarding his position are great places to grab onto. Maybe then he won’t be pulled late in games like he was against the Cavs on Wednesday.
“We’ve put a huge emphasis for him to get to the boards on both ends, defensively and offensively, and he’s tried to do a better job with that,” Donovan said. “I never try to evaluate his games on making shots and missing shots. That’s going to go up and down. But the defensive assignments he’s had to take on this year, who is actually guarding him, the things he’s had to go up against, so I really think this has been a good learning curve for him. These are all the growth things he’s got to go through, so I’m not surprised it’s been (up and down) for him. I kind of anticipated that.”
Where Donovan needs to step in is on the offensive end.
In 16 games Buzelis has played without Coby White he’s averaging 14.1 points and has scored 20-plus five times. In 10 games with White he’s at 12.3 points per game, not a major drop, but not one 20-point showing.
White is not a selfish player. He does take some shots away, but White should also open up the floor for Buzelis to operate.
This cannot turn into a Lauri Markkanen-Zach LaVine situation where it felt like Markkanen put up All-Star numbers whenever LaVine was in street clothes, but became a quiet passenger in the backseat when LaVine played.
It’s not about Donovan looking to force-feed Buzelis, but he could be the focus of more sets in the half-court, whether they’re running Spain actions or five-out. Don’t think of it as rewarding Buzelis for moments he hasn’t necessarily earned to this point. Think of it as investing in Buzelis to reward the organization with star power over the next few years.
Because as of today, he’s the best chance they’ve got.