ORLANDO – The dry board wasn’t supposed to be used as a day planner.
At least not the one in Billy Donovan’s office.
But there the Bulls coach found himself a few weeks ago, mapping out Matas Buzelis’ day with the second-year forward, trying to figure out a solution to maximizing his rest versus his chase for greatness.
Not the usual ask from a 21-year-old, but as Donovan and the Bulls continue finding out, Buzelis isn’t the typical 21-year-old.
“This is why I love the guy,” Donovan said. “He comes into me maybe two weeks ago and wants to have a better routine for a home game. He feels he’s maybe getting to the arena too early. So we’re sitting on the chalkboard, he and I, and we’re going through when he arrives, what he does, those types of things, and we cut some stuff out. I give him credit. He comes and seeks that stuff out.”
Not only did the two tweak his home routine, but his routine on the road.
Buzelis was a 3 p.m. arena arrival guy when the Bulls were playing outside of the United Center, while the first team bus doesn’t usually arrive until 5:15 p.m. for a 7 p.m. tipoff. His legs were feeling it, his body was slowed by it.
A solution was figured out.
Guess who is now a passenger on the 5:15?
“I’m always a big believer in the work, so I show up early and feel like I’m going to get rewarded,” Buzelis said. “Now with the minutes, how I’m playing, just high energy, doing everything on the court, I have to get the rest. Me showing up a little bit later, getting more sleep, getting more recovery, all that matters. Everything matters in that department. I definitely tweaked my routine a little bit. It’s been better, honestly.”
Was Monday’s loss in Orlando a hint of that? Maybe. After all, Buzelis did have one of his better showings of the season, scoring 21 points on 7-of-16 shots – the most shots he’s attempted in a game in over a month. He also grabbed six boards, handed out four assists, had three blocks, and trash-talked a Magic fan sitting courtside that was on him all night.
“My mom is going to be pissed if she finds out what I said,” Buzelis joked about the back-and-forth fan “interaction.”
What hasn’t been a joke is Buzelis trying to get over the inconsistencies. Before the game in Orlando, three of his last five games were poor at best, scoring in single digits in each.
He looked passive and every bit the player who was averaging almost 10 minutes more a game than he did last year as a rookie. The legs didn’t seem to be cooperating with what the mind wanted to do. Monday was just what he needed.
“I just tried to stay aggressive, clear my mind, play free, be present,” Buzelis said of the Magic game. “I had a good talk with my mental health coach, telling me, ‘Don’t worry about the results. You gotta let it go. Don’t worry about stats. Worry about what you can control out there.’ “
The same message Donovan has been hammering Buzelis with since the summer. Maybe in not the same soft words, but Buzelis has welcomed his coach’s tough-love style.
“That’s a huge part for him, the consistency part,” Donovan said. “The mental approach every single night to get yourself to compete professionally and understanding your talent has been neutralized. They’re all good players up here. And he’s really talented, so I’m not saying that, but what you don’t want to do is have your talent be your curse. What I mean by that is you’re this talented guy but there is no preparation. I think he sees that, and I give him credit. As a young guy, to come to me and see that, and say, ‘I need to be better here.’ I love that. He’ll get there.”
Until he does, Donovan’s dry board is always open.