There's a decent chance Matas Buzelis becomes a good NBA player, maybe even very good. But he probably won't evolve into the superstar Chicago Bulls fans once envisioned.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with that. Settling in as a No. 2 option on a contender, which Buzelis could potentially become, is nothing to scoff at. And an organization that's struggled for as long as this one has could use all the good players it can collect.
But a large contingent of Bulls fans had higher hopes for Buzelis as they watched him develop over his first two seasons. In hindsight, though, maybe the "franchise-savior" expectations heaped on him by some were ones he was never truly capable of fulfilling.
Don't count him out and never say never, but it might be time to accept Buzelis for what he is — and what he isn't.
Matas Buzelis may never become a superstar with the Bulls
Until this season, Buzelis was the closest thing Bulls fans had to legitimate hope.
The Chicago native slipped to No. 11 in the 2024 draft, and both player and franchise found a perfect match. But it took a minute for the former G League Ignite standout to find his footing.
Buzelis played 80 games as a rookie and averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds with shooting splits of 45.4/36.1/81.5. He didn't start until Chicago's final 31 contests.
He showed a drastic improvement in his second season, bumping those averages up to 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while also dishing out 2.1 assists per game and blocking 1.5 shots a night. He was one of only two players — the other being Victor Wembanyama — to swat at least 100 shots and make at least 100 3-pointers.
But the first few weeks of this season have been a slog for Buzelis. Prior to a Nov. 4 date with the New York Knicks, he was averaging just 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists while turning the ball over a career-high 3.0 times per game. He was shooting 40.0 percent from the field and a scary 29.0 percent from deep.
Perhaps most importantly, he's struggling to find his role next to rookie Caleb Wilson, who has usurped him as the organization's ultimate building block.
Buzelis can become the Robin to Caleb Wilson's Batman
Buzelis is a promising player, but watching what Caleb Wilson has been doing puts it in perspective: He just isn't that guy. Wilson is.
To be fair, Wilson would be that guy on a good chunk of NBA teams. He's an alpha in every sense of the word. It didn't take long for him to take over the franchise. And he has taken over.
The 20-year-old former North Carolina star is the Sun that the rest of the Bulls organization now revolves around. It's Buzelis' job, and everyone else's, to figure out their place in his solar system.
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