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Bulls may have found gem in former 12th overall pick
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis. David Banks-Imagn Images

Bulls may have found gem in former 12th overall pick

The Chicago Bulls have lost in the play-in tournament in three straight years, thus securing a pick at the end of the lottery. Based on their first preseason game, they may have found a gem at No. 12 in 2024.

20-year-old Matas Buzelis scored 19 points in 18 minutes as the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-117, Tuesday night. The young forward shot 8-for-11, grabbed eight rebounds, hit two three-pointers and blocked a shot in an all-around impressive performance.

Matas Buzelis is a local product who could be a much-needed star

The Bulls took Buzelis, a Chicago native who went to high school 20 miles from the United Center, out of the now-defunct G League Ignite team. He started slowly, playing minor minutes and averaging 6.4 points in the first half before playing his way into the starting lineup.

After the Bulls traded Zach LaVine, Buzelis had a 24-point game, shooting 10-for-10 from the field with four threes. He started all 31 games after that, averaging 14.2 points in the season's last three months. In March, he had a 31-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by a 28-point game against the Dallas Mavericks a week later. On Tuesday, he continued to get buckets.

Buzelis has more star potential than anyone on the Bulls roster

Buzelis is intriguing because he combines size and skill. He's a 6-foot-10 forward who shot 36.1 percent on three-pointers last season, but who also gets to the rim. Despite playing 18.9 minutes per game, Buzelis racked up 65 dunks, taking over 30 percent of his shots within three feet of the rim and shooting 63.3 percent.

He's a passable defender already, a rarity for a player who still can't legally buy a drink until Oct. 13 — his 21st birthday. All that means Buzelis is locked in as the team's starting power forward and should get 30 minutes per game and plenty of touches on offense, especially with top scorer Coby White banged up already.

The Bulls find themselves in a peculiar position. They only have long-term commitments to Josh Giddey and disappointing forward Patrick Williams. The Bulls have a chance at massive cap space next summer, although they're likely to extend White's contract.

Suppose Buzelis can emerge as a genuine scoring threat; that makes the Bulls' upcoming roster decisions much easier, especially since Buzelis should be able to play either forward spot. Chicago has shown no willingness to tank for a better draft pick, so finding a star requires a trade, a likely free-agent overpay, or getting lucky at the back of the lottery.

It's only been one game, but Buzelis was scoring at will at Summer League in July.

After years of being mired in mediocrity, Buzelis gives the Bulls a chance to go from play-in to playoff contender in the near future. For a team that often feels directionless, this Chicago native represents a tantalizing path to NBA relevancy for the Bulls.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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