The Chicago Bulls will need the proverbial second-year jump from Matas Buzelis if they have any hope of avoiding a fourth consecutive Play-In Tournament, and based on his tantalizing preseason performances, they're about to get it. An uptick in rebounds and assists is likely on the docket, sure, but Buzelis is on track to take a significant leap in scoring -- perhaps to the tune of 19 points per game?
The 21-year-old averaged 8.6 points as a rookie, but digging a little deeper, it becomes easy to see why people in and around the league are bullish -- no pun intended -- about what the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft can do in his second NBA campaign.
Count Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report among that group.
Bulls' Matas Buzelis forecasted to average 19 points this season
Buzelis's points-per-game scoring total in 2024-25 is deceiving. Chicago head coach Billy Donovan is hesitant to throw young players into the fire immediately, and despite his obvious upside, Buzelis was no different. It took time for the former G League Ignite star to earn Donovan's trust, but when he finally did, he blossomed.
From October to January, the 21-year-old played just 13.3 minutes per contest (with zero starts) and averaged 5.3 points. From Feb. 5 to the end of the season, he started every one of the Bulls' 31 games, played 26.8 minutes per contest and increased his scoring average to 13.0. The team was 17-14 during that stretch compared to 22-27 when he came off the bench.
Buzelis will be a starter from the jump on opening night this year and displayed some drastically improved scoring chops this preseason. He led the Bulls in scoring, averaging 17.6 points across five games ... in 23.3 minutes per game. He scored at least 19 points in four of those five contests.
Buzelis flashed improved shot creation off the dribble and a better 3-point stroke. He bulked up over the offseason, which should lead to a higher percentage of successful shots at the rim and the ability to carry a heavier workload while staying healthy for an 82-game season.
Put all that together, and it's easy to see why Bailey believes he'll make such a massive leap in the scoring department.
The Bleacher Report scribe prefaces this as a "bold" prediction, but by the end of the season, it may not look bold at all.