Matas Buzelis Looks Like A Cornerstone Player For The Bulls

Evaluating rookies requires patience. The best rookies on day one of their first season often aren’t the top players from the class by the end of the year or even later in the season. For some players, they must wait for their chance, regardless of their own performance.

That’s been the case for the Chicago Bulls’ 11th overall pick in 2024, Matas Buzelis, who finally cracked their rotation, despite an inconsistent minutes share most of the season. Trading away Zach LaVine opened opportunities for other players and Buzelis has taken full advantage.

Buzelis’s uptick in playing time extends a bit beyond LaVine’s departure. Over his last eight games, Buzelis has tallied 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks on a scorching 76.6 percent true shooting clip. He scored a career-high 24 points against the Miami Heat on Feb. 4, making all 10 of his shots from the floor.

Buzelis Is Already An Excellent Defender

Despite his recent offensive production, Buzelis’ defense might be even more impressive. He has produced on that end for the entire season, defending the rim at a high level for a rookie wing. His pre-NBA rim protection flashes have translated so far — Buzelis’ 5.2 percent block rate ranks in the 92nd percentile, just trailing Jonathan Isaac among non-centers.

A Chicago team severely lacking in rim protection has relied heavily on Buzelis’s backline defense. It’s a lot to ask of a rookie but he has answered the call, covering for ground-bound bigs like Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith. Buzelis contests at the rim 11.1 times per 100 possessions and opposing offenses shoot 10.1 percent worse at the hoop when he plays.

Great length, vertical explosion and instincts fuel his weak-side rim protection. He’ll swoop in from help position to rotate and block or alter shots when his point-of-attack defenders lose their matchups, which happens quite often. Weaponizing his length and size, he’ll block shots defending the ball himself.

Matas Buzelis defends the rim at a high level for a rookie wing, showcasing his impressive vertical pop, ground covering and instincts as a back line defender.

5.4% block rate (93rd %tile), -11.8% FG% differential on contests (95th %tile) are both highly encouraging! pic.twitter.com/hWf75URiFG

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) February 11, 2025

As is the case for most rookies, Buzelis must add tons of functional strength. Drivers toss him aside without much effort. His slight frame minimizes his current defensive impact, leading to plenty of fouls and moments where he’s easily discarded. Even with these limitations, he never backs down from opponents and will rotate hard to contest at the rim and defend the ball.

Room To Grow Offensively, With Positive Traits Already There

That aggression and confidence also provide faith in his offensive upside, despite the same problems related to strength, balance and power. His offense has been better lately, but he hasn’t been a consistently impactful player, largely due to his lack of strength and experience.

Physical limitations mainly hurt Buzelis at the basket, where he finishes a poor 51.8 percent of his shots around the rim. Even when he can’t generate any power, he never shies away from contact. Physicality and the willingness to absorb and seek contact often can’t be taught or take many years to improve. Buzelis has this as a rookie, never afraid of failing on his drives and shots at the rim against bigger, stronger and older defenders.

Regardless of his matchup, Matas Buzelis’s aggression never wavers. He’s confident as rookies come, always looking to drive hard and score through and over defenders.

He’ll be a rock solid offensive after plenty of functional strength improvement pic.twitter.com/GDUUVncEoO

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) February 11, 2025

Beyond his strength, Buzelis boasts impressive athletic tools, notably his excellent vertical explosion. He’s always skying above the rim to finish strong and dunk over defenders. His solid burst and flexibility help him generate space on drives, despite his currently shaky ball control.

Buzelis’ recent shooting progression stands to complement his driving acumen. On the season, he’s up to 37.3 percent on 5.7 attempts per 75 possessions, shooting with above-average volume and efficiency. He’s mostly a spot-up shooter, taking 31 percent of his shots from the corner, but drawing closeouts will open up easy driving lanes.

In the future, it’s possible Buzelis will develop into a secondary creator. He’s not much of a playmaker but has the advantage creation tools to bend defenses and punish them as a scorer while stretching the floor. In the present moment, he’s already a solidly impactful player; the Bulls are 3.2 points better overall per 100 possessions with Buzelis on the floor and 4.3 points better defensively. They only experience a more drastic defensive rating on-off swing with Lonzo Ball (7.8 points per 100 possessions). 

Buzelis has already made strides throughout his rookie season and will hopefully continue this strong stretch of play for the rest of the year. At some point, Chicago must commit to developing its own star talent as reluctant as the team seems to do that. With the way he’s playing, Buzelis may force the Bulls’ hand, though. He’s taking control of his development into a future franchise cornerstone for them. 

All stats are accurate prior to games played on Feb. 12.