Bulls forward Matas Buzelis prepares to dunk during a game last month. AP
The Bulls are promoting Matas Buzelis for the NBA’s all-rookie team.
Maybe the first step to that process should be using a time machine to tell coach Billy Donovan to give the Bulls’ first-round draft pick more minutes early in the season.
Since Feb. 4, roughly the final 32 games, Buzelis is clearly one of the NBA’s top five rookies. During that stretch, the 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 36.6% from 3-point range.
Over the full season, Buzelis averaged 8.6 points, which ranks 13th on the list of rookie scorers. The former Hinsdale Central High School student is a contender for all-rookie first-team, thanks to the strong finish, but might be facing an uphill climb.
“The hardest part for me was not playing (early in the year), because I was thinking, ‘Am I good enough? Can I compete with these guys?’” Buzelis said Tuesday at the Advocate Center. “For me, I don’t lack confidence, so I just keep working, keep getting better every day.”
Eventually, Buzelis joined the starting lineup and the Bulls went 17-14 in those games. He’ll get his first taste of the pseudo postseason when the Bulls host Miami on Wednesday at the United Center for the play-in tournament.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will play at Atlanta or Orlando on Friday for the chance to earn the No. 8 playoff seed and a date with Cleveland in the first round.
San Antonio’s Stephon Castle, the fourth pick of last year’s draft, is the heavy favorite to win rookie of the year. Washington’s Alex Sarr and Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher, the top overall pick, will likely finish second and third. There’s a long list of candidates for the other two spots on the all-rookie first team.
Most of last year’s mock drafts had Buzelis being chosen with the fifth overall pick, but he lasted all the way to the Bulls at No. 11.
That has a chance to be the stroke of good fortune the Bulls have been waiting for. Buzelis clearly has a high upside. He’s athletic, polished, fearless and his outside shot has been better than expected. He handles the ball well enough to try the Josh Giddey role of point forward, but usually sets up in the corners waiting for a pass.
“When he stepped into that full-time starting role, I think the way he’s impacted this team has gone to another level,” Giddey said of Buzelis. “He’s obviously a super-talented kid and he’s mature beyond his years.”
The missing ingredients are strength and physicality. Buzelis looks like a scrawny teenager compared to most NBA players, although he’s actually 20 years old. He has the athletic tools to be a strong defender someday.
Buzelis credited Donovan for holding him accountable. The Bulls coach often talks about making young players earn their minutes, rather than being gifted playing time.
“He challenges me in practice and I thank him for that,” Buzelis said. “He’s been a huge part of my development. He’s been probably like the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s a Hall of Famer, he has all these accolades. He’s a huge part of this journey for me.”
The speed of Wednesday’s game could be a deciding factor. The Bulls rank second in the league in pace, compared to 27th for Miami. While going 3-0 in the season series, the Bulls outscored the Heat by a combined 34 points in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls’ run game starts with Giddey and Coby White pushing the ball, but Buzelis is capable of creating fast-break points.
“I don’t really get nervous,” Buzelis said. “(I just want to) make winning plays for my team, do anything it takes to win the game.”
The Bulls have lost to Miami the past two years in the play-in tournament.
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis celebrates from the bench during a game last month. AP
