One of the most constant and frustrating themes of Billy Donovan and Arturas Karnisovas’s tenure in Chicago is the lack of rookie development. Outside of Patrick Williams, who has been blindly thrown into the starting lineup for 209 of his 248 career outings, rookies don’t see the floor much for the Bulls. Williams is an exception because he was drafted the highest of any rookie in Chicago since Derrick Rose and was Karnisovas’s first draft selection with the franchise. The front office was reluctant enough to admit their faulty draft choice to agree on a five-year extension for the former Seminole, with whom they’re now testing the trade market. Matas Buzelis, the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft, has shown the most promise of any Bulls rookie in over a decade. Why doesn’t he see more action, and what’s he accomplished despite the struggle for playing time?
One Of The Most Underrated Defenders Leaguewide
At this time last year, Buzelis was being mocked in the top ten of the NBA draft, and some had him as high as first overall. He was tearing up the G-League and showing off elite athleticism, a unique scoring ability, and a high motor. When draft night rolled around, and he fell into the laps of Karnisovas and his team, Chicago had to grab the 19-year-old with massive upside. In classic Donovan fashion, the rookie has seen minimal minutes off the bench this season with little to no consistency on a nightly basis. While it’s understandable that the inconsistency in floor time or rotational minutes is causing his extreme variances in output, the Bulls’ 19-26 record makes fans wonder if they shouldn’t be granting the rookie more opportunities.
Best Defensive 2-Point Percentage (D2PT%) For The 2024-25 NBA Regular Season (Min. 150 Total D2PA) :
1. Matas Buzelis — 42.6%
2. Nicholas Batum — 43.5%
3. Jaren Jackson Jr. — 44.1%
3. Kevon Looney — 44.1%
5. Amen Thompson — 44.7%
6. Desmond Bane —… https://t.co/TZll9D7X3u pic.twitter.com/QrG16XSAfm— Stat Defender (@statdefender) January 23, 2025
Not only is the rookie forcing a tough matchup for the opposition, but he’s also one of the only roster pieces who consistently provides rim protection. Despite being granted some of the fewest minutes on the depth chart, he leads the club in blocks and all rookie forwards in games with two or more blocked shots.
Want to know something ridiculous?
Matas Buzelis leads the Bulls in blocks this season (30) DESPITE sitting 10th on the team in total minutes played.
Is that an indictment of the Bulls' defense? Absolutely, but it's also another reason why he should be playing way more!
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) January 14, 2025
Providing Positive Offensive Output
Buzelis has proven to earn court time with his defensive efforts, but offensively, he’s shown just as much promise with no reward from the coaching staff. Yes, he’s not yet a polished offensive threat, but his explosiveness and speed in transition alone warrant court time. Unlike Williams, who is older, paid more, and provides less versatility defensively, Buzelis has shot similar figures from three-point land and comparable statistics in most offensive categories. The failure to let their rookie play and develop amidst a third consecutive losing season is baffling.
Matas Buzelis was HOOPIN.
20 pts | 7-10 FG | 4-5 from three | 2 blk pic.twitter.com/jflY5i59su
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 3, 2024
This level of offensive prowess doesn’t disappear overnight. Buzelis has struggled mightily with his role changing on a nightly basis. He hasn’t played 15 or more minutes in back-to-back games in over a month, and he’s seen five minutes or less in a quarter of games this month. The potential and athleticism are obvious. Why are Donovan and Karnisovas not pushing for his development? If Chicago turns into trade deadline sellers, look for Buzelis to see a significant uptick in minutes as the Bulls slide in the standings without some of the top current contributors.
