The Chicago Bulls ended Matas Buzelis' draft day fall when they snatched him up with the 11th pick in last summer's draft. The 19-year-old's underwhelming and inefficient season with the G League Ignite likely turned teams off despite his physical attributes and theoretical skill set.
In 26 regular season games with the Ignite, the 6-foot-10 Chicago native averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds, but for a prospect who showed promise as a stretch forward coming out of high school, his three-point percentage of 27.3 was wildly disappointing.
Buzelis also averaged more turnovers than assists and finished the year with a plus/minus of -10.9.
The promise he showed as the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2023 high school class, according to 247Sports, didn't translate to the G League level. But the Bulls took a swing on his potential, and as he fell outside the top 10, it was a worthwhile risk.
Buzelis' playing time in 2024-25 could fluctuate due to several factors: the health of Patrick Williams and Zach LaVine, the play of the newly acquired Jalen Smith, the rookies' own development and the franchise's decision to aim for another spot in the Play-In Tournament or finally let the young guys loose.
Buzelis' scouting report heading into the 2024 draft featured some enticing attributes. But according to Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, there's an often overlooked trait that the rookie has been showing off during training camp that might help his case for more playing time.
Matas Buzelis is impressing Bulls teammates with his athleticism
Most draft profiles concentrated on Buzelis' potential as a shooter, whether spotting up behind the 3-point line or off the dribble. He's a good ballhandler for someone his size and can see the floor well enough to make plays for teammates in some situations, but he has room to grow.
He should be a threat in transition with his ability to pull down a rebound and start a fast break on his own - something that should come in handy as Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan tries to implement an up-tempo offense.
Most scouts overlooked one aspect of Buzelis' game, though, apparently - one that clearly hasn't gone unnoticed during training camp, Dosunmu told K.C. Johnson.
The rookie has proven to be one of the most athletic player on Chicago's roster.
“I ain’t gonna count Zach because Zach won two dunk contests," Dosunmu said. "Julian is right there. But you’ll see .”
Ayo Dosunmu said he could make a case for Matas Buzelis being most athletic player on team. Over Zach LaVine and Julian Phillips? “I ain’t gonna count Zach because Zach won two dunk contests. Julian is right there. But you’ll see.” Cited one dunk in September runs that was “wow.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 2, 2024
Buzelis' explosiveness could unlock a new set of options for Chicago
A 6-foot-10 forward who plays like a wing is already a unique asset. Add in the potential of becoming a knockdown shooter, shot creator and rebounder, and things become even more enticing.
But if Buzelis is also one of the most explosive athletes on the team - with nearly LaVine-like athleticism, apparently - it opens up an entirely new part of the playbook for Donovan.
The Bulls could go big with Buzelis on the wing and some combination of Williams, Smith or Nikola Vucevic up front. He could play the four alongside Josh Giddey, Coby White and LaVine, creating a potent offensive foursome.
It would likely only come in spurts, but Donovan could deploy Buzelis at center as a stretch five who could take opposing big men off the dribble. With Giddey, White and LaVine on the floor with him, Chicago could have four scorers and shot-creators running the offense simultaneously.
Like most of the Bulls' lineups this season, those groups would heavily bleed points. But if Buzelis can live up to that potential and use that athleticism, it would be another offensive weapon to help keep Chicago in games by pouring in points in a hurry.