The Chicago Bulls are now on a nine-game slump after losing to the New York Knicks. Despite their struggles, Matas Buzelis continues to be a bright spot for the Bulls. The second-year forward has played and started in all 58 games for the Bulls this season. He is averaging 15.0 points per game on 46.8% shooting. Buzelis also averages 5.4 rebounds a game and he leads the Bulls in blocks with 1.5.
The Bulls were among the busiest teams at the NBA trade deadline. Which means players have been in and out of the lineup with no real consistency. Additionally, injuries are also a problem for the struggling Bulls. Fortunately for head coach Billy Donovan, Buzelis has been the consistent piece in his puzzle this year.
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan pushes Matas Buzelis
In their loss against the Knicks, Buzelis led the Bulls with 15 points. Unfortunately, he had an off night from the field, shooting only 33.3%. Despite that, Donovan still believes that he is helping their guys develop — especially Buzelis.
‘‘It’s been a lot harder on Matas, but I think in a good way,’’ Donovan said, via the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘When Coby [White] was here and Ayo [Dosunmu] was here and ‘Vooch’ [Nikola Vucevic] was here, even though [Buzelis] got into the starting lineup, he’s now starting to see the best defenders in the league night in and night out. I think that’s a great opportunity for him to make a jump because he’s starting to learn a lot.”
‘‘The consistency of being able to perform at a really high level against really good defenders and good players is something he’s kind of gotten thrust into, and I do think that because of his makeup and competitiveness, how much he leans into that, that could really help him.’’
Buzelis is already blossoming as one of the Bulls’ core young players. The Chicago native is on an upward trend, having already nearly doubled his point production from last year. Donovan is clearly optimistic about Buzelis’ improvement, especially with the looks that the 6-foot-8 forward has been getting lately.
As for the Bulls, what better way to get another Chicago native to build for the future? The 21-year-old said that he found motivation through Bulls legend Derrick Rose. This is great for the organization, as he understands what it means to win with the Bulls.
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