Matas Buzelis is a bright spot within the Chicago Bulls rotation. The second year forward impressed as a rookie and has enough upside to potentially develop into a regular All-Star candidate.
Billy Donovan is overseeing a rebuilding process with the Bulls. As such, young and exciting talents like Buzelis are key to future success. Therefore, Donovan is likely trying to expedite the development of Chicago’s younger contingent.
When speaking to the media on Thursday, Oct. 9, following the Bulls’ 119-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Buzelis revealed his admiration for Donovan’s coaching style of the approach he’s taken during training camp.
“He’s very, vocal very direct,” Buzelis said. “I like that he’s not trying to go around anything. He’s gonna tell you what he sees, and you can have a good conversation with him. If you have a disagreement he’s gonna he’s gonna be open-minded. But he’s amazing. You can hear him talking on the bench the whole time. And you can see how much he loves the game. So having a coach like that is definitely a plus.”
The Bulls will enter the 2025-26 NBA season with very few expectations on their shoulders. However, if Buzelis and other young members of the rotation can continue to show improvement, the Bulls’ rebuilding efforts will be justified.
Buzelis Is Putting In Maximum Effort
Buzelis clearly wants to be the best player he can. During the same discussion with the media, he detailed his mindset toward his overall growth and how he approaches training sessions as a whole.
“You have to come in with a mentality of like, I’m gonna get better at this and I’m gonna work as hard as I can at this, which is defense, and try to figure it out,” Buzelis said. “I mean, if you don’t, you don’t; if you do, you do. But I believe, I always say I could do anything, so I can figure it out.”
At 20 years old, Buzlies has plenty of scope to improve and round out his game. He suited up in 80 games last season, averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and an assist, shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from deep.
Bulls’ Buzelis Reveals His Offseason Developments
In a recent interview with Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, Buzelis detailed how he’s approached improving his overall game this summer.
“I talked to Billy a little bit,” Buzelis said. “He’s been telling me, more pick and rolls. Try to work on off-the-dribble threes, stuff like that. So I’ve always been comfortable with the ball in my hands. I’ve never stressed about having the ball in my hands, and I’ve never panicked when I have the ball in my hands. It’s second nature to me, being a primary ball handler. Just something that’s going to come with time as I work on it, getting more reps.”
Buzelis is just one of the Bulls’ developmental prospects. Recently drafted Noa Essengue will also be a key focus for the coaching staff. Nevertheless, Buzelis’s approach is likely to help him lead by example. He’s got the right mindset and the potential to become a core part of the team’s rotation.
Bulls fans will now be hoping that his hard work this summer translates into a developmental jump in the upcoming season.
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