Matas Buzelis unexpectedly slid out of the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls couldn't have been more ecstatic.
The franchise ended the Illinois native's freefall, grabbing him with the 11th pick. After a mostly disappointing season with the now-extinct G League Ignite last year, question marks surrounded several aspects of Buzelis' game.
Projected as a promising shooter coming out of high school, he shot just 27.3 percent from three during the regular season with the Ignite. He flashed as a 6-foot-10 forward who could flourish in transition but didn't get many opportunities to show it.
Maybe the idea of Buzelis rather than his actual production was why he fell in the draft. Regardless, he's now in Chicago, and with only a week left until the regular season begins, he's quickly becoming one of the steals of the draft.
In fact, he's shown enough already to have earned the Bulls' starting power forward spot on opening night in New Orleans. Here's a trio of reasons why.
Buzelis has already improved in only three preseason contests
The 20-year-old came off the bench in Chicago's preseason opener and scored 12 points in 21 minutes. He added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
His first NBA bucket came on a tough floater from the elbow. He got out and ran in transition. He pulled down rebounds and led fast breaks himself.
Buzelis passed the eye test with his athleticism and skill level, but also with his competitiveness.
“He’s active, he runs the floor, he’s aggressive, he’s physical," Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan said after the game per NBA.com. "He’s going to get stronger. There are things he made mistakes on, which you expect. But overall I love his mentality. He has a really good work ethic, he wants to get better and he has a toughness to him the way he plays.”
Buzelis struggled in Chicago's second preseason contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, but he flipped the script dramatically in the Bulls' third exhibition game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
He scored a (very early) career-high 15 points in only 22 minutes. He looked comfortable shooting from deep for the first time, burying a trio of triples. Then there was this:
MATAS BUZELIS DUNKS ON GIANNIS
— BullsMuse (@BullsMuse_) October 15, 2024
AND-1 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/4DyIB46trb
He'll have some growing pains as Donovan admitted, but that looks like an NBA starter.
Patrick Williams continues to disappoint in Chicago
Chicago's incumbent starter at the four, 23-year-old Patrick Williams, has struggled with injuries and consistency so far in his NBA career. Handing him a five-year, $90 million extension this offseason was questionable at best.
He's done nothing to assuage concerns so far this preseason, while Buzelis has shown flashes of potential stardom.
Williams already experienced soreness in his surgically repaired left foot during training camp and was held out of the team's game against Milwaukee.
Across two games, he's averaged 3.5 points on 20.0 percent shooting in 15.6 minutes. He hasn't made a three and is averaging as many turnovers (2.5) as rebounds.
His plus/minus of -18.0 is worst on the team. Onuralp Bitim is second worst at -7.5.
Williams is displaying the same concerns that have plagued him through his first four seasons. Buzelis has arguably shown a higher ceiling through just one summer league run, training camp and three exhibition games.
Buzelis is at the heart of the Bulls youth movement
Despite Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic still being on the roster, Chicago is unquestionably in a rebuild.
Any NBA franchise in the same situation would be giving their rookie lottery pick heavy minutes, and the Bulls should be no different.
When handed the opportunity, Coby White has shown to be one of the league's most promising combo guards. Josh Giddey deserves a long look as a lengthy, versatile, stat-sheet-stuffing point guard.
Julian Phillips has shown promise this preseason. Ditto for Dalen Terry. But the prize, at least for the moment, is Buzelis.
He's done enough through three games to earn a starting spot strictly on merit; but as a rebuilding franchise, Chicago needs to hand him the car keys all the same.