TORONTO — Matas Buzelis is ready for the next step.
He never doubted it. The rookie believed he was ready for it from the moment he slid a Chicago Bulls cap onto his head in June. But it has taken longer than expected, more patience than expected.
On Friday night, that patience paid off. Buzelis already had stepped into the sixth man role in the previous two games. And in a 122-106 win over the Toronto Raptors, he soared.
There was an ease to Buzelis that comes only with a sliver of experience. Slinging the ball behind his back to duck around a defender, then crashing into Jakob Poeltl at the rim to draw a whistle. Slicing the ball between his legs before ripping a crossover that sent Poeltl stumbling as Buzelis danced to the rim.
Effort is a necessity for any young player to earn minutes. But with the first half of his rookie season under his belt, Buzelis is beginning to unlock a part of his game that looks almost effortless.
“This has always been in my bag,” Buzelis said after tallying 12 points and three blocks in the win. “It’s just about displaying it.”
The game has changed for Buzelis. He no longer is languishing at the bottom of the rotation. When coach Billy Donovan finally decided to bench forward Patrick Williams, he also made a clear choice to move up Buzelis as the first player off the bench.
Those sixth-man rotations have served Buzelis well. He scored in double digits in the last two games, and Friday’s win was the third time this season he racked up three blocks.
Almost overnight, Buzelis has become a player earning more than 20 minutes a night — not because he needs it but because he’s ready to shoulder that workload.
There were missteps Friday just as there were moments to celebrate. Buzelis struggled to find his shot at the rim early over the lengthy Raptors wings. He stepped out of bounds for a mindless turnover in the second quarter. He slipped to the rim with pitch-perfect timing to set up a dunk in the fourth quarter, only to get stuffed by Ochai Agbaji.
Mistakes never have been an issue for Buzelis. He expects to mess up — a lot.
“How am I going to get better if I’m not playing against the best?” Buzelis said after scoring 12 in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
But the balance is shifting for Buzelis. To Donovan, it was all a matter of learning, something Buzelis has pursued by consistently peppering his teammates and coaches with questions.
It’s a good sign when Buzelis is smiling on the court. Basketball is fun. The rookie rarely forgets that fact — especially after throwing down a rim-rocking dunk.
But in this recent stretch, Buzelis is displaying the seriousness that’s a prerequisite for increased playing time. His focus is sharper. He understands that the ugly plays are the ones that will keep him on the court, not the flashy ones.
At first, Buzelis didn’t understand the physicality or intention necessary to challenge NBA veterans on either end of the court. He had a bad habit of sagging off his mark on defense, coming off his feet too early and expecting his length to make up for poor timing or slow feet.
It came from a combination of being overwhelmed by the speed of the game and overeager to prove himself, resulting in quick flurries of fouls and being blown up on failed switches.
In recent weeks, Buzelis has shifted into a savvier approach on defense — preaching patience, committing himself to jumping after the shooter is already in the air, holding back his hands until the last possible moment.
Buzelis never had a hard time getting to shots when he was rotating off the ball, tallying more blocks (39) than any of his teammates this season. But he needed to adopt this balance to be trusted with guarding starters with regularity.
Donovan was stingy with praise for Buzelis early in the season, but the rookie earned rare kudos from his coach after Friday’s game.
“I thought defensively tonight, he did a lot of really spectacular things,” Donovan said. “It was hard to shoot over him. If he can stay in position and not take himself out of the possession, that gives us more rim protection.”
This is the new normal for the Bulls. There are no plans to slow down with Buzelis. The passage of next Thursday’s trade deadline always was expected to usher in an increase in his minutes — but now the Bulls feel confident the rookie is prepared for that challenge.
And Buzelis?
Well, confidence never has been an issue. Ask him about how he stays ready and he’ll give the same answer as always: “Man, I’m just a hooper.”
Originally Published:
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