It only took one summer league performance for Matas Buzelis to prove he's ready for a heavier transition playmaking role next season, a development that would make the Bulls' already high-paced offense even quicker and more threatening.
It wasn't an efficient performance for Chicago's sophomore forward in the team's lopsided loss to the Toronto Raptors. Buzelis finished with 17 points on just 4-of-14 shooting and 2-of-8 from three in 25 minutes, but other parts of the 20-year-old's game shone and displayed what he's ready to bring into 2025-26 to make the Bulls' transition-based offense even more efficient.
Matas Buzelis has already taken a leap in one key area this offseason
Buzelis headed to Las Vegas as the best player on Chicago's summer league roster and is only expected to play in two games.
The franchise entered the offseason hoping to see the forward develop as a playmaker, as summer league head coach Billy Donovan III said per Sam Smith of NBA.com:
“The game has slowed down for him so much already," Donovan said. "Can he be that secondary ballhandler? He’s really made strides. ... He does have a tendency where he will overdribble. But he’s more than capable of playmaking. With his ability to attack closeouts and how long and active he is, he covers a lot of ground and he demands a lot of attention.”
With Josh Giddey presumably returning and Coby White still on the roster, the Bulls should have enough playmaking to get by in the halfcourt. Where Buzelis could take Chicago's offense from good to great is in transition.
At 6-foot-8, Giddey can pluck a rebound off the glass and immediately start a fast break. Should the 6-foot-10 Buzelis develop that same skill, it would unlock even more of the transition opportunities the Bulls prefer to feast on.
That growth was evident on two plays in particular during the July 11 loss to Toronto. Midway through the first quarter, Buzelis grabbed a rebound and rushed up the court before finding Yuki Kawamura for a wide-open three. Later in the third quarter, he grabbed an outlet pass and, after a brief hesitation, blew by his defender, got into the paint, and finished through contact for a three-point play.
“I think it gives us another look,” Buzelis said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “If I get by my guy, I’m going straight to the rim, dunking it. I can make plays. I think it’s something to look into, quite honestly.”
He isn't wrong. If Buzelis can carry his improvement as a ballhandler and playmaker into the regular season, his long strides and explosive athleticism would add another dimension to the Bulls' already potent transition game.