If Matas Buzelis is going to get anywhere, he first needs to get to the rim.
The path from the 3-point arc to the restricted area is beginning to shrink for Buzelis. Those 23 feet are easier to navigate, requiring fewer dribbles, fewer steps. Over the last two years, Buzelis learned that he needs less space than he thought, that sometimes a foot or two of breathing room is enough to tuck himself into.
That growth was visible from the opening seconds of Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns at the United Center.
Buzelis moved toward the rim with a greater finality. His assertiveness coming down off a screen or an off-ball cut provided the half-second advantage necessary to beat the high-pressing Suns defense. And when the physical contest came from his defender, Buzelis absorbed the contact, staying a little steadier in the air as he tried to finish.
Buzelis scored 12 points in the paint, and his only other points were a pair of free throws also earned while attacking the rim. He also missed all six of his shots behind the arc, the only stark negative from his outing.
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis shoots a 3-pointer against Suns guard Jalen Green during the second half of a preseason game Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the United Center. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)
It was only the preseason. No reason to get too high on a few exhibition plays. Still, the first showing from Buzelis was enough to raise a few “what if” questions that should follow the third-year forward the rest of the season.
As a rebuilding team, the Bulls have a lot of needs. They need to set the table for Caleb Wilson’s career. They need to establish a style of play under first-year coach Tiago Splitter. They need to figure out if Josh Giddey is a fit for the team’s future.
But perhaps more than anything else this season, the Bulls need Buzelis to have his breakout moment.
Buzelis might be the most variable factor on the Bulls roster, the player with the greatest range of potential change. His growth will establish how much firepower the Bulls have in their young core.
Buzelis is clearly a good NBA player, a solid shooter with plus athleticism and a decent defensive baseline. For a No. 11 pick, his skill set and consistency already should be considered a talent-identification win for the Bulls.
But if he takes the right leap, Buzelis could set the Bulls apart — and fill out the foundation of the competitive roster this front office is trying to build.
For Buzelis, that starts and ends with the physicality and discernment he can bring to the court as an off-ball scorer. At 21 (he turns 22 on Tuesday), he still is hoping to add muscle and weight. But for now, he’ll mostly play the three to make space for Wilson as a slightly larger four, a setup that allows Buzelis to utilize his length as a jumbo wing.
Buzelis spent the summer drilling on how to finish through contact. As a younger player, he often allowed himself to get jammed in the middle of the court, settling for jump shots rather than trusting his dribble and taking the extra step to access a closer shot. This season he wants to touch the rim as often as he can.
“The main thing for me was gaining strength and sharpening all of my tools,” Buzelis said. “I can do a lot on the floor. I’m playing more physical. Even going through the workouts with more physicality is something we’ve been focusing on, and it translates.”
Buzelis knows this will take time. That’s probably the hardest part. He came into his rookie season with big goals. Some were achieved, most weren’t. His second season was an even more extreme version of that disappointment.
More than anything, Buzelis wants to win. The Bulls might get back to that someday soon, but it likely won’t be this season. He’s not OK with that. He knows if he ever settles into accepting losses, he’ll never be the same player.
He hates losing. He’ll have to do it a lot this season. And Buzelis knows the only way to weather that frustrating dynamic is to pour himself into his learning process.
“I’m practicing patience,” he said. “Everything can’t come to you at once. It was hard for me. I speak to a lot of smart, intelligent people, and they tell me everything comes with time.
“I know that this team is capable of a lot of things and I know we’ll get to where we want to get to. It’s a process, but all of us are working extremely hard to try to achieve our goals.”