The Chicago Bulls had a quiet 2024 NBA Draft as they had just one pick. It was the 11th overall pick in the draft, and the Bulls signed Matas Buzelis from G League Ignite. Going into the draft, Buzelis was the guy that the Bulls wanted, but it was looking like Chicago might have to make a trade to land him. A lot of people were expecting Buzelis to be taken earlier in the draft, but the Bulls ended up getting him with the 11th pick without needing to trade up. It worked out well, and Buzelis just finished up NBA Summer League with the Bulls.
Matas Buzelis looked like an overall great player in NBA Summer League. He was confident, he was crafty and he scored a lot of points. All in all, it looked like the Bulls got a good one with the 11th overall pick in the draft. In fact, SB Nation ranked all rookies from NBA Summer League, and Buzelis came in at #3.
“Buzelis was tabbed as a lottery pick for his potential to play on the perimeter offensively at 6’10, but he proved in summer league he can also make an impact with his energy and activity while his skill set develops,” SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell wrote. “The 19-year-old will struggle with his scoring efficiency as a rookie, but his high motor will make him productive even as his body and shooting stroke develops.”
Buzelis looked good, but as a rookie, there are obviously a lot of things that he can improve. Here are a couple things that he should be focusing on as his first season in the NBA looms.
Size
Matas Buzelis has great size when it comes to his height as he is 6'10”. Buzelis also has great athleticism for being a 6'10” big man, but one area of his size that he can improve is his weight. He is currently listed as 210 pounds, so he definitely has some room to put on some muscle. If he can do that and add some more power to his body, it will really elevate his game. He is already tough to guard because of his height and athleticism, but putting on some more weight will help him around the rim. He didn't have too much trouble scoring points in NBA Summer League, but things will definitely be more challenging when the actual season rolls around.
Three point shooting
Matas Buzelis didn't shoot the deep ball very well during NBA Summer League as he was on average 1.2/5.6 from three per game, which is good for 21%. The Bulls need some more three point shooting, and if Buzelis can improve there, it will make him an even more difficult player to defend.
Buzelis is really close to being an all around special player. If he can improve the deep ball and put on some more muscle, he is going to be incredibly difficult to guard on any part of the floor. The future is bright for the young star.
During NBA Summer League, Buzelis averaged just under 30 minutes per game, and he averaged 16.4 PPG. He shot 34% from the field and 21% from deep. He also averaged 4.2 RPG and 0.8 APG. Buzelis was strong on the defensive end as he averaged 2.0 steals per game and 2.0 blocks per game.
It was a successful Summer League for Buzelis, and it looks like the Bulls got a good one.
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