Help me, Matas Buzelis. You're my only hope.
While the Chicago Bulls may not be looking to their 20-year-old forward to save a galaxy far, far away, they sure are hoping he'll save the mediocrity-laden one in the Windy City.
There has been plenty of frustration around Chicago over the last few seasons. The Bulls finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 42-40 record and followed it up with identical 39-43 marks in 2023-24 and 2024-25. That led to three straight Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament berths but no playoff appearances to speak of.
The franchise is ready to turn the corner with its sophomore forward in the driver's seat.
Matas Buzelis is the best hope the Chicago Bulls have
Last season at least brought some anticipation for the future. Josh Giddey had a career year in his debut campaign in Chicago, Coby White developed into a go-to scorer and the Bulls finished 11-4 in their final 15 games. Head coach Billy Donovan installed an aesthetically pleasing brand of run-and-gun basketball that helped the team finish second in pace and sixth in points per game.
But no one in the organization carries more promise and excitement than Buzelis.
In his first 47 games, the Illinois-native averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds and played 13.3 minutes per contest with zero starts. He entered the starting lineup on Feb. 2, becoming Donovan's top choice at power forward.
Over the final 31 games, he averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, eventually earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.
His field goal percentage jumped from 44.1 to 46.7, his free throw percentage from 79.6 to 83.3 and his 3-point attempts per game from 2.5 to 4.9. Buzelis became more confident and efficient as he concluded his rookie season, and many in NBA circles expect him to carry that progress into his sophomore campaign and take the proverbial second-year jump.
Unsurprisingly, that includes the Bulls front office led by executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
“He has so much skill in his bag,” Karnisovas said earlier this summer, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Shooting threes, blocking shots, running the break, dunking the ball, he’s athletic, he can put it on the floor, create for others, so we’ve seen a lot of [that skill].”
The Bulls expect Buzelis to take on more of a playmaking role this year as well. Having a 6-foot-10 point forward will give Donovan several additional options to play with, especially in transition, where he likes to play most.
Cowley writes, "With contract uncertainty still swirling around Coby White and Josh Giddey, there’s no player on the roster more important than Buzelis. ... There’s no reason that by the 2026-27 season, Buzelis isn’t leading the Bulls in scoring, field-goal percentage and blocked shots while emerging as the top wing defender/rim protector on the roster."
That's a lofty bar to reach for a player entering his second professional season, and he shouldn't be expected to play the Obi-Wan Kenobi role immediately. But Buzelis is the future of the franchise in Chicago, and at some point, the Bulls will go as far as he can take them.