It’s a fair question to ask of Bulls coach Tiago Splitter, one that might not have a clear answer for a while. Maybe never.
Was breakout forward Deni Avdija already on a trajectory to go from draft disappointment with the Wizards to All-Star with the Trail Blazers last season or was it the coaching change of Chauncey Billups to Splitter just before the regular season that catapulted Avdija to become a foundation piece for an up-and-coming Western Conference team?
Tough to say.
The Bulls are hoping it’s the latter.
They have Matas Buzelis, a talented, versatile forward, and thoroughbred Caleb Wilson, 20, who has the skills to push for Rookie of the Year honors among a loaded 2026 draft class.
In other words, Splitter has a full plate.
As far as Avdija, he was taken No. 9 overall in the 2020 draft — Patrick Williams went No. 4 that year — and was more disappointment than promising prospect his first three seasons with the Wizards.
To his credit, however, Avdija started to show a jump in Year 4, bringing his average up from 9.2 points per game in 2022-23 to 14.7. He got to the free-throw line, improved his three-point shooting and, more important, started to show playmaking skills.
Of course, the Wizards gave up on him too early because that’s what they do, trading him to the Blazers on draft night in 2024 and giving the 2019-20 Israeli League MVP a new lease on life in the NBA.
Avdija showed signs in the 2024-25 season, but he really took off under Splitter. He averaged 24.2 points, and his assists went from 3.9 per game to 6.7. His free-throw numbers also climbed from 5.2 per game to 9.2.
Ball movement and attacking the rim with force are two aspects that Splitter stresses.
Coincidence?
The good news for Buzelis is, like Avdija, he’s coming off a season in which he averaged 16.3 points, and in the last 22 games of the regular season, he attacked the rim with aggression. His free throws went from 2.9 per game before the All-Star break to 3.6 the rest of the season.
The ingredients are there for Splitter to further unlock Buzelis.
And what about Wilson? Fans might have to pump the brakes a bit and realize he’s still a young player with a lot to learn, no matter how impressive he was in Summer League.
“[Everyone has] got to understand this is a process and not every night is going to be sunny and make all the shots,” Splitter said of Wilson and all the hype building around him. “It’s going to be up and down. But the trajectory has to be on an upward motion. That’s how we see it and part of the development.
“[Wilson has] got to also understand that part and that we’ve got a process going [for the] long run.”