Rookie Matas Buzelis Finding Groove with Chicago Bulls

Newbie Matas Buzelis has found his NBA footing in his last few games with the Chicago Bulls.

Dec 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) dunks against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Drafted at No. 11 in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis was thought of to be one of the team’s more important pieces moving forward. But limited time in his debut season called that into question somewhat, along with his general skill level and readiness. 

At 6-foot-9, he has premier potential as a two-way forward — which ultimately led to his selection in the lottery — but it seemed like Chicago wasn't keen on throwing him into the fire early.

Now, after a few highly impactful performances, Buzelis is finding his groove in Chicago.

It started with a 14-point performance against the Grizzlies in late November, to that point far-and-away his best performance on the season, not coincidentally coming in a then-season-high 29 minutes.

Since then, he’s been able to string together better performances with more playing time, only seeing one game since then under double-digit minutes. On Monday, Buzelis scored a career-high 20 points on 70% shooting, hitting four of his five 3-pointer and adding five rebounds and two blocks.

In a big 15-point win over the Spurs Thursday night, Buzelis followed up with 11 points, seven rebounds and one assists on solid shooting, including connecting on two of his three triples.

Across his last six games, the former Ignite forward is averaging double-digit scoring at 10.5 per game. While it’s not necessarily eye-popping numbers, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for a high-ceiling prospect who wasn’t thought of to be ready to this point. 

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