It wasn’t Friday’s poster dunk over Jalen Suggs heard ’round the NBA world, but it was a solid runner-up.
Just a few minutes into the first quarter Saturday against the Hornets, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis did a back cut on rookie Kon Knueppel, caught Nikola Vucevic’s bounce pass and went immediately into attack mode.
His nasty two-handed flush quickly brought the United Center crowd to its feet and kept the Buzelis buzz alive and well.
The Bulls’ 112-99 loss to the Hornets, however, also was a reminder that Buzelis’ growth isn’t linear. There are peaks, valleys and everything in between.
Buzelis made a huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter, then two possessions later, he inexplicably turned the ball over with a pass right into Collin Sexton’s hands.
“His body is going to continue to develop,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s going to get stronger. He may get overmatched physically [now at times]. It’s not going to be this smooth; there are going to be a lot of ups and downs.”
It’s a ride Donovan feels is more than worth the price of admission.
Buzelis had 17 points but was not the play-maker he was just 24 hours earlier when he had a career-high seven assists. Since the offseason, they’ve added ballhandling and decision-making to his plate. Both are works in progress.
“I think he’s got great ballhandling skills, really good,” Donovan said. “There are times he puts himself in harm’s way where the defense is loaded up on him, and there’s really a small crease to try to split.
“Some of that could be on me, too, because, like most teams, we’ve tried to be a paint-attack team, and in certain situations and floor alignments, [we] try to be aggressive. There’s times where he needs to be aggressive away from where that split is and maybe to the outside.
‘‘Where he gets into trouble sometimes in the ballhandling is when guys get under him because he’s upright, and they really crowd him. But I’m comfortable [with him] in pick-and-roll, I’m comfortable with him in the open floor, him bringing the ball up the floor. Instinctively, he’s got good vision. He’s got a good feel of making those plays.”
That should be the focus of the Bulls, who remain average at best at 17-18. They’ve lost to the 12-23 Hornets twice this season. Developing Buzelis’ all-around game should be their No. 1 priority.
Unfortunately, the front office seems more focused on “competitive integrity” and chasing play-in status in the Eastern Conference again.
The Bulls jumped out to a 39-27 lead, only to let Charlotte get off the mat and take over. In the second half, the Hornets outscored the Bulls 62-41 and outrebounded Donovan’s crew 30-18.
Buzelis wanted the finger pointed directly at him.
“I can’t even give you an answer for that; I feel like [the lapses] just happen,” Buzelis said. “We’ve got to punch back fast and respond fast. I believe in this group, for sure, and it’s just something we’ve got to be better at.
“I feel like the ball got a little stagnant [in the second half], and I was a part of that. I have to trust my teammates a little more. Billy also told me that, and I’ll be better at it.”