They Didn’t Screw Up(!), Matas Buzelis Offers A Lot, How Did People Grade the Pick? And Other Bulls Bullets

Elias Schuster

Jun 27, 2024

Chicago Bulls

Pull out the tarps. Light the cigars. Put on the snow goggles. Pop the champagne bottles. It’s time to celebrate.

THE CHICAGO BULLS DIDN’T DO SOMETHING DUMB!! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLEEEEEE!!!!

Wake Up With A Bunch Of Matas Buzelis Highlights!

On the one hand, I have to give credit where credit is due. Arturas Karnisovas didn’t try to be a galaxy brain executive and made the right move on draft night. On the other hand, ten other teams made this about as easy of a move as could be. Matas Buzelis was projected to be a top 10 pick on nearly every mock draft, with most even having going within the top 6. He was also viewed as a player in the running for the No. 1 overall selection just last offseason when he joined the G-League Ignite as a top-7 recruit in the country. While most had a feeling that someone viewed as a top talent would stumble down the board, few expected it to be Buzelis. So the Chicago Bulls were handed a pretty unmistakable move to make at No. 11.

Unlike the Josh Giddey trade, the consensus is that the Chicago Bulls walked out of the first round as one of the winners. Here’s a look at how some of the top sites graded the team’s pick:

Yahoo Sports – A-
The Ringer – B+
Bleacher Report – B+
SBNation – B+
CBS Sports – B+
Sporting News – B+

Considering the Chicago Bulls are typically flunking every class, I’ll happily put this B+ front and center on the refrigerator. Also, for what it’s worth, my individual grade is an A. I completely understand some of the concerns surrounding his game, specifically in relation to his inconsistent 3-point shot and lack of strength. But we’re also talking about a six-foot-nine 19-year-old who just averaged 14.3 points and nearly 7.0 rebounds against grown men. As far as two-way potential goes, few in the draft possessed as much as Buzelis and the Bulls desperately needed a high-upside prospect like him on the team.

Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls — © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Again, this is a player who almost everyone had as a top 6 prospect in this class … and the Chicago Bulls got him at No. 11! Here is where he was expected to go in a handful of notable mocks:

The Ringer – No. 4
NBA.com – No. 5
Yahoo Sports – No. 5
Bleacher Report – No. 5
The Athletic – No. 9

Fit wasn’t something the Chicago Bulls needed to worry about in this draft, especially as they look toward a potential full-blown rebuild. But one of the best things about Buzelis is his versatility. The extremely mobile forward should fit right in next to the pass-happy Josh Giddey. I can already picture the two pushing the pace together in transition and combining for some pretty electric lobs. Buzelis is also a pretty smart off-ball mover with an advanced feel for the game.

A lot of Bulls fans don't know Matas Buzelis bc of the G-League route, but they should feel good!

– VERY fluid athlete at 6-9
– Good rim protector (2.1 BLK per game w/ Ignite)
– Runs floor in transition well
– Ferocious dunker
– Smart off-ball
– Shooting upside

Lots to like!— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) June 27, 2024

The Chicago Bulls weren’t nearly as positionless as they wanted to be in recent years, but they’re now creating that option for Billy Donovan. Patrick Williams, Buzelis, and Giddey all provide tremendous positional size. Buzelis’ active rebounding and plus-weakside rim protection will also give Williams a chance to play more along the perimeter. Many have wanted to see the forward with the ball in his hands more at small forward. I think that will be in the cards this year.

Buzelis has got that dawg in him, folks. He’s slowly building a reputation for his trash talk, which included recently challenging No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to some one-on-one before draft night. If you were looking for someone who isn’t afraid to show emotion on the floor and get a bit chippy, Buzelis is that guy.

Potential top-5 NBA pick Matas Buzelis sits down with @Stadium: “I respect Zach (Risacher) as a player…He just doesn’t want to see me. I’m just going to keep it real with everybody.”

On “disrespect” of Ignite shutdown; Franz Wagner, PG, Andrei Kirilenko, Jaden McDaniels; more: pic.twitter.com/nZpLsoCkVp— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2024

You’re going to hear me talk about it a lot, but Buzelis reaching his ceiling depends largely on his jumper. He only shot 27.3 percent from downtown during his 26 regular season games last year on 3.4 attempts a night. As yuck as that is, the sooner you watch him the sooner you’ll understand why many believe he can improve in this area. The shooting stroke – while a bit inconsistent at times – looks pretty darn good. The Ignite also had nobody on the roster who could really set him up with prime looks. Giddey should help with that.

Speaking of his jumper, here’s a look at him nailing the game-winner at the Rising Stars contest during All-Star Weekend. He drained this shot over 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, by the way.

Matas Buzelis hit the game-winner at this year’s Rising Stars event. And he did it over last year’s No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller.

Dude played tough competition all year and left a mark. pic.twitter.com/h2tK45NBhY— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) June 27, 2024

The Chicago Bulls would have owned the No. 41 pick in this year’s second round, but that selection currently belongs to Philly. With that being the case, they aren’t currently scheduled to hear their name on the clock, but we all know that can change fast. The Bulls also weren’t a part of last year’s second round but traded into it to grab Julian Phillips. While it’s probably not wise for them to give up more assets at this point, there are a few interesting names left on the board, especially in the big man department.

Kyle Filipowski was expected by many to go in the mid-first-round. Instead, the Duke stretch-five slipped into the second and could be a steal for teams picking early. My guess is either Toronto (No. 31) or Milwaukee (No. 33) grabs him, but I wouldn’t hate to see the Chicago Bulls figure out a way to sneak in there. Another option could be UCLA’s Adem Bona, who is a physical beast that would give the roster some sizable rim protection/rebounding it could be missing without Andre Drummond.

The Chicago Sky announced that Elizabeth Williams will now miss the remainder of the season after her ACL surgery. Get well soon, Elizabeth!

Sky announced this AM that Elizabeth Williams will be out the remainder of the season after having surgery on a torn right meniscus.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) June 27, 2024

Angel Reese appeared to join Chicago native Terrence Shannon Jr. at his draft party.

Angel Reese tonight with Terrence Shannon Jr at his @NBA Draft party in Chicago.🫶#WNBA pic.twitter.com/Ok6WOkMcRL
— Angel And Kamilla👯‍♀️ (@AngelAndKamilla) June 27, 2024

On final mock!

2024 NHL Mock Draft: BN’s FINAL Day Before the Draft Starts Two-Rounds

written by

Elias Schuster

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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