Matas Buzelis was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the eleventh overall choice in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In a rather weak draft class, the Illinois native might have been selected in the top five, but nobody in the Chicago front office seemed to mind.
Buzelis had a dismal season with the now-defunct G League Ignite and is very inexperienced.
The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in the G League despite being predicted to be a three-level scorer and knockdown shooter coming out of high school. However, his shooting splits of 45/27/68 were incredibly inefficient.
Yet, the Bulls couldn’t ignore the appeal of Buzelis’ unique combination of size, explosiveness, agility, and shooting potential.
The 20-year-old stood out in both the preseason and the 2024 NBA Summer League. With Chicago expected to prioritize player development, Buzelis was projected to be one of the first options off head coach Billy Donovan’s bench, if not an immediate starter.
But that hasn’t happened. Why?
Billy Donovan sheds light on why Matas Buzelis’s playing time has been limited.
“Given the number of individuals we have at that [forward] position, I want to make sure there are groups out there that will work together while also helping Matas grow and develop. Because of the style we’re attempting to play, I believe we’ll need a large number of guys. In order for him to benefit from it, we must figure out how to get him in there whenever possible.”
Reiterating his earlier remarks, Donovan stated in a news conference on October 30 according to Chicago Bulls Central that his young forward must do well in his little playing time in order to earn his minutes.
The head coach of Chicago even hinted at a potential return to the G League. Although that isn’t his ideal plan, Buzelis stated that he will take advantage of it if it materializes.
“It is not my intention to be down there if I do go. I’ll strive to earn minutes on the Bulls’ roster by working my way up to the big squad. However, I don’t consider it disrespectful if I have to go down there. I’m there to grow both as a person and as a basketball player.
The Bulls have a 3-2 record and have won two comeback games thanks in large part to their bench unit. If Chicago wants to accumulate victories, things are going well so far.
But with a top-10 pick up for grabs in a highly anticipated 2025 draft, that shouldn’t be the team’s main objective. Instead of always watching over his shoulder, Buzelis ought to be learning from his failures.
