BOSTON — Friday night’s game isn’t where Matas Buzelis wants to be.
The second-year Bulls forward will take it, he’ll speak about it with gratitude and look to put on a show, but in his world the NBA’s Rising Stars Game is a rung on the ladder. A ladder he is not even close to finishing climbing.
“Everything is exciting for me still,” Buzelis said of his trip to Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend. “Anything you get to participate in is an honor and exciting, but I’m not going to lie, yeah, I want to be in that Sunday game for sure.”
That’s because Sunday is the varsity game. That’s when the best of the best cap off the weekend with the NBA All-Star Game. The showcase event. That’s always been the end game for Buzelis since the Bulls selected him in the 2024 draft — winning and to be the best.
Easy to lay out as goals, but as Buzelis is finding out, it’s a journey that comes with bruises and disappointment. He’s been reminded of that in the last week alone.
Gone from the locker room are a majority of the veteran players that helped raise him as a rookie last season and into the summer. Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter all traded by last Thursday’s deadline.
Maybe that’s why the Buzelis hype train has again slowed down, awaiting the next fix.
It’s not like he’s been bad in the four games since the roster purge. There just haven’t been many takeover moments. Rookies like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have already had takeover moments this season. It’s Year 2 for Buzelis and while there are highlights and glimpses, those are more teases than trends. He is more than aware of that.
“I’m fully capable of becoming a great player and this is just the process it is going to be for me,” Buzelis said. “But I know for a fact that every year I’m going to get better as a player. I know that will happen. I’m going to work extremely hard, push myself until exhaustion to become that player. I’m more worried about this team and as a collective group what can we achieve. I’m all up for the challenge of becoming whatever people say or believe — All-Star, yada, yada.”
So when?
Easy to ask but difficult to answer.
“What I’m concerned about is I totally understand on the stat sheet that assists are going to be a reflection of made baskets, and consistently before (these trades) happened we were a team that was 28-30-some assists per game, and we come out of the first half (against Boston on Wednesday) with eight assists,” coach Billy Donovan said when asked about concerns for Buzelis inconsistent play lately. “We need to learn how to play the right way, everybody. Whether it be Matas or Patrick (Williams), they’ve been here and they know how we have to play. Nobody is going to look good when you’re not helping each other.”
Another gut-punch that Buzelis is trying to deal with? Winning is his top priority and it is sinking in that his franchise is in the midst of a soft tank.
“It is hard but what can you do? You’re not going home and crying about it,” Buzelis said of the team and where it is in the standings. “You’ve just got to wake up and get back to work. I do understand that it’s going to be difficult to get into a groove as a team, but we’re all up for that challenge. Sooner or later, the sun will shine.”
Likely in LA, where Buzelis did make one promise about the Rising Stars Game. Or maybe it was a warning.
“This game is the league’s future and there is a lot of hype around some of these guys,” Buzelis added. “I’m looking forward to going out there and competing against them, sharing a moment, building relationships with, but if it goes down to a one-on-one situation in these games against any guy, we’re going at each other and that’s just how it is.”
Friday night will have to do for now.
It was a tale of two franchises Wednesday as new Bull Anfernee Simons and old Bull Nikola Vucevic explained the differences between the Bulls and Celtics. It was not a good look for the Bulls.
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Williams will compete against Internet personality Druski, streamer PlaqueBoy Max, BMX rider Nigel Sylvester, former NBA star Richard Jefferson … and Thunder guard Jared McCain, who figures to be the favorite.
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The two played three-on-three after the shootaround Wednesday, ramping up activity on their left hamstring injuries. Neither player will return until there is absolutely no tightness.
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