Matas Buzelis is due for a big jump in Year 3. What does he need to work on to take his game to the next level?
Chicago Bulls fans are in on Matas Buzelis as the face of the franchise and they have plenty of reasons to feel that way.
Buzelis is coming off of his second year in the league, averaging 16.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG and shot 34.9% front the 3-point line (6.4 attempts per game). He improved across the board on his solid rookie season. Chicago depends on Buzelis a lot more in Year 2, especially post-All-Star break.
One of the main issues with Buzelis was that he was not showing enough moments of taking over the Bulls offense, truly displaying the talents of a No. 1 scoring option. He quieted some of those concerns this season, averaging 19.0 PPG on 15.1 FGA per game over 22 post-All-Star break contests. Over that same stretch, Buzelis took a whopping 8.7 attempts per game from 3-point range. The accuracy suffered dramatically (31.4% from deep over that stretch) but it was nonetheless encouraging to see the young forward take on a larger share of responsibility on offense.
I truly feel that the sky is the limit for Buzelis heading into his third season. He's already a good player, but I believe there a few clear areas of improvement that will take him to "great player."
Mar 30, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) shoots in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn ImagesExpand his game to the midrange area
As fan of Buzelis shot chart, one that Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson would call "analytically perfect," it pains to me to admit this one. But with the Bulls not focusing on winning games as the priority anytime soon, they--being the next Chicago head coach--might as well let Buzelis explore expanding his game to the midrange area.
A large swath of Bulls fans have been begging for Buzelis to take more midrange shots, and with Billy Donovan out of the picture, they could finally get their request obliged.
I was shocked to find out that per Cleaning The Glass, Buzelis shot 46% on long midrange shots, a figure that puts him in the 87th percentile for forwards. It's not to say he should live on midrange FGAs, but using them to mix up his game as a pick-and-roll ballhandler would be an intriguing adjustment.
Increase his FG% at the rim
This one is pretty straightforward. On the surface, it sounds nitpicky to ask Buzelis to finish better at the rim, but the numbers show room for improvement. Per Cleaning The Glass, Buzelis shot 64% at the rim. The best forwards in the league hover around the high 60s, with the elite forwards shooting 70% or higher at the rim.
Buzlies is an athletic finisher who relies on dunks for a decent chunk of his offense. At 209 lbs., the 6-foot-10-inch forward could certainly benefit from adding some weight. Any added strength would benefit Buzelis' game as he matures and continues to feast on mostly drives and free throws.
Become an even more aggressive shot-blocker (and defender)
This one is getting greedy, but if Matas Buzelis truly wants to be one of the best players in the league he needs to have a "greedy" mindset in terms of personal improvement. He had a nearly identical 2.3% and 2.4% Block Rate his rookie and sophomore NBA seasons. With a jump in playing time, the raw numbers saw him go from 0.9 blocks per game to 1.5 blocks per game over the 2025-26 season.
If Caleb Wilson is the Bulls pick at fourth overall, that would provide Chicago with another strong on-ball option--along with Leonard Miller--that could guard primary scoring forwards such as Jayson Tatum or Deni Avdija.
With Wilson (hypothetically) able to take on more primary assignments, Buzelis would have even more opportunities to roam off-ball looking for chances to provide great help defense and a timely swat.
Buzelis tied Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans for 16th in the league in BPG.
Zach Edey finished third in the league with 1.9 BPG, Alex Sarr finished second with 2.0 BPG and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama led the league with 3.1 BPG. It's obviously a lofty goal to tell Buzelis to finish in the top-three in the league in BPG over the 2026-27 season, but I think that's the exact type of goal he needs to be aiming for.
It is, of course, imperative that Buzelis becomes a better team defender and doesn't irresponsibly chase blocks, but focusing on becoming an even better deterrent at the rim would go a long way towards turning him into a true two-way star.
