PHILADELPHIA — Bulls forward Matas Buzelis was doing a lot of fighting late Monday.
Fighting to keep his confidence up. Fighting to figure out his place in the Bulls’ offense. Fighting to make sure he chose his words wisely in describing his early season inconsistency.
These fights remain ongoing.
Buzelis entered the season on an upward trajectory. He emerged as one of the Bulls’ best players last season, with an elite combination of shot-blocking and three-point shooting few in the NBA have been capable of.
But through seven games on a one-win team, Buzelis has averaged 13 points while trying to play in a new system with new teammates, including standout rookie Caleb Wilson. And on far too many half-court offensive sets, he finds himself stuck in the corner.
‘‘If you can recall [in my] first and second [seasons], they were tough [at the start],’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It was difficult. You know, new guys coming in, it makes it harder. That’s just God putting me in positions where there’s challenges all the time, and I can achieve anything I want.
‘‘I worked extremely hard this summer. Sometimes you work hard and you think you’ll get the results. Right now, you’ve got to really focus in on what you can control and what you can do out there.’’
Buzelis isn’t wrong about finding his way through a season. As a rookie, he wasn’t even playing consistently before the All-Star break but wound up averaging 13 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the last 27 games of that season.
Last season, he jumped nearly four points per game from the first half to the second half and improved his rebounding and shot-blocking along the way.
This season, however, wasn’t supposed to feature a slow start. He was supposed to be Robin to Wilson’s Batman. No one asked for the Flash.
Still, that’s what Buzelis is right now. He showed flashes in losses to the Wizards and Knicks but also has had some downers, including a four-point, five-turnover effort Monday against the 76ers.
His message to the doubters — a group that has been growing — is a simple one: ‘‘It’s all a process. Figuring out when to attack, when to shoot, it’s all different for me. But I’ll get it. It’s a matter of time.’’
And while some Bulls fans and people on social media want to cast stones, those in the locker room still believe in Buzelis. Maybe that’s because he’s not the only one trying to find his way.
‘‘In the halfcourt, we have multiple guys that can be offensive weapons for us, so [we’re] trying to balance that attack,’’ point guard Josh Giddey said. ‘‘Last year, we didn’t have guys like Norm [Powell] and Caleb that can get you 20 at will. We’re all learning how to play with each other. Whether you’re saying his role is different or not, [Buzelis is] still that same super-talented player that you guys saw last year. It’s my responsibility to help get him back on track.’’
And new coach Tiago Splitter’s responsibility, too. Splitter has a shooting star in Wilson that he doesn’t want to lasso in any way, but he also has to make sure the supporting actors are getting their moments in the spotlight, too. If he doesn’t handle things right, the locker room might splinter.
Luckily, Buzelis isn’t a me-first guy. He understands the team works better when he’s playing well, but it’s a group that needs one another.
Could Buzelis find a better rhythm by playing with the second unit and being put in more familiar situations? Maybe, but that’s a fight for another day.
‘‘I’ve just got to get into a flow, man,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘That’s all I need to get it going.’’