For Chicago Bulls fans, there is not much to love about the 2025-2026 season. 

At 28-40, the Bulls are more likely than not heading to the lottery for the eight time in the last 10 seasons. The roster is in general disarray, as they’ve traded veterans in Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Lauri Markkanen, with the current composition of the squad more guard-heavy than a security agency. 

Yet despite the uncertainty surrounding Chicago, one player has been a bright spot for the franchise: Matas Buzelis. 

Josh Giddey had the triple-double, but it was Buzelis who was among the key beneficiaries of his play. As a result, the former NBA G-League Ignite player finished with a game-high 29 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. 

Buzelis’ athleticism remains an important facet of his game, but it’s clear that he has made strides in other aspects in Year Two. He fights through contact to score on nifty layups and can move without the ball for cuts that lead to easy baskets. Defensively, the Chicago native is a menace, because he could be a pest to opposing players and has a tendency to block shots even in the perimeter. 

The increased opportunities have only helped Buzelis achieve not just career-best numbers in his second season, but also improved efficiency with more minutes. The 11th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has seen his attempts and percentages trend upwards and he has been able to contribute more on both sides of the court. He still has some room to improve though, as it may be best he lets his game do the talking. 

Buzelis figures greatly into the Bulls’ future plans, as they have moved on from LaVine and Coby White in recent years. Along with Josh Giddey, they figure to be one of the rangy and more dynamic backcourts in the league for years to come. 

Unlike many of today’s players, Buzelis has been a beacon of consistency healthwise, as he joined Bub Carrington III (82), Stephon Castle (81), Ron Holland II (81) as the only players from the 2024 draft class to play in at least 80 regular season games. Buzelis has so far missed just one game and this is great news for Chicago, which had to endure the tough times when Derrick Rose went down with leg injuries. 

That being said, thinking about the recent past and the current state of the Chicago Bulls isn’t really a pleasant thought for their fans. But the strong play of Matas Buzelis so far this season should give them some sense of optimism in the coming years. Key to this will be Buzelis’ health and the Bulls being able to build around him going forward. The building blocks are there, and it’s on the organization to step up in order for them to finally emerge from the cellar.