What Would Be Matas Buzelis' Ultimate Form?

The next leap of Matas Buzelis is loading.

In a preseason story last year,  I outlined the areas where Buzelis could improve to make a sophomore leap. Despite a promising rookie season with the Bulls, the homegrown standout left room to grow in shooting, physicality and attacking the rim under pressure.

This season as a sophomore, Buzelis has continued showing elevating aggresiveness and taken a natural jump, starting every game he's played with increased minutes. He's posted a career-high 41 points against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday — his second time topping his career mark in the same season. He also peaked at 19.8 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks after the All-Star Weekend.

Intriguingly, though Billy Donovan doesn't encourage mid-range shooting, Buzelis has learned to create space for occasional mid-range attempts. That shows positive signs of offensive independence. We've also discussed Buzelis' weakness with ball handling and discipline when driving to the rim — he often loses control of the ball.

I once suggested that Buzelis should work more on contested shooting and pull-ups to make the next leap. But under Donovan's system, it seems unnecessary. Looking at his shot chart this season, only 12.5% of his shots are pull-ups, with over 75% coming from catch-and-shoot opportunities and finishes within 10 feet.

Though I still have doubts about Donovan's slow-cooking approach to developing this young player while possibly curbing Buzelis’ personality, we found a glimpse of hope — or perhaps answers — in his career night at the Chase Center. While Donovan wants him focused on off-ball movement, Buzelis executed that brilliantly and scored efficiently. When it matters for his next leap in shot creation, he's achieving it through fundamentals like utilizing space off screens.

More importantly, amid this jump, he's been one of the Bulls' most consistent players despite roster upheaval. He's missed just one game due to injury all season.

Behind the offensive jump, it is a stumbling learning curve for the sophomore eager to enhance his defense and shoulder more responsibility on that end. He's struggled with foul trouble while being assigned to guard opponents' best scorers. Though his defensive fundamentals prove he's improving, what remains is building more strength.

One area where Buzelis has quietly excelled: shot-blocking. Once leading the isolation defense in the league, Buzelis is currently on the verge of surpassing 100 blocks this season, sitting at 98 and ranking sixth in the league, a remarkable achievement for a 6-foot-9 forward playing the three. He led the Bulls with 75 blocks as a rookie, and this year represents significant growth in that defensive dimension.

"I'm really good at timing the block and knowing when guys will try and finish when they're going up," Buzelis said to the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's something I feel like I've had since I started playing basketball. I just try and translate it to the NBA."

Because he considers himself a student of the game, Buzelis often watches film after games to figure out opposing players' tendencies. From what I, alongside fellow reporters, observed in some selected Bulls open practices, he often sat with Donovan on the bench for long talks. His natural wing position, combined with ball-handling ability and transition speed, adds another dimension to his rim protection capabilities.

Perhaps what Donovan appreciates most is how coachable Buzelis remains under tough love. Through this lengthy learning process, Buzelis has gained a better understanding of winning impacts with an established attitude.

"He's got a really good work ethic, and he's got a really good drive, and I think he's competitive and he wants to be really good," Donovan said at the training facility last month. "And I think that that's a great starting point."

But what would be Buzelis' ultimate form? Not just continuing to evolve his basketball fundamentals, but developing his voice and impact in the locker room and learning how to react to change and NBA reality.

When I asked this question to Donovan last month, he cited Josh Giddey as an example, someone who experienced rounds of the team-building process early in his career, and eventually being traded to Chicago. Amid trade deadlines and roster reshufflement, Donovan believes a healthy mindset and leadership development become crucial.

"This is another great growth opportunity (for Matas) when new players come in. How can he lead more? How can he use his voice more? How can he understand a little bit more about each player in terms of their skill set, what they do well? How can he expose those things in a positive way?"

Through Donovan's words about Buzelis, the expectation extends beyond statistics. A heart of leadership should emerge through this season, especially given the Bulls' recent struggling campaign and uncertain future.