Stuck in the soft underbelly of the Eastern Conference, with 15 victories for 19 defeats, the Bulls are still in a strange in-between. And the use of Matas Buzelistheir 11th choice of the last Draft, illustrates this well.
His very fluctuating playing time annoys some fans, with Billy Donovan often preferring veteran Torrey Craig.
“It’s a legitimate question and one that I ask myself all the time” assures the “head coach”. “There is a balance to be found between (Buzelis) and the responsibility to make the right decisions that I believe put the team in the best position to win. This isn't a criticism of Matas, but when he doesn't do the job well enough, I can't just leave him on the field. He must be held accountable for that.”
Juggling between present and future
Unlike other rookies, in teams that don't play anything at all, Matas Buzelis cannot learn by making mistakes. He must learn by trying to correct them little by little.
“That doesn’t mean he goes out as soon as he makes a mistake. But there are defensive coverages, delay screens, defensive returns, communication to ensure… These are things that must be built, and honestly Matas is not the only one, the whole team suffered in these areas at times. But when things aren't going well in the third quarter, it's hard for a coach to say, 'Do your thing, no matter what happens.' »
Billy Donovan continually juggles between the short, medium and long term, between the present and the future.
“Of course it’s complicated for months” recognizes the rookie. “There are only competitors here, who want to play, but I understand that. Personally, I just want to win, and do everything I can to win. »
| Matas Buzelis | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2024-25 | CHI | 32 | 13 | 36.5 | 33.3 | 78.6 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 5.1 |
| Total | 32 | 13 | 36.5 | 33.3 | 78.6 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 5.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
