2024 NBA Draft - Chicago Bulls select Matas Buzelis with the 11th pick

[Sakkreth]

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My morning coffee in Lithuania with Buzelis highlights of getting 28, could get used to it.

[HomoSapien]

That Matas dunk was so reminiscent of the way Scottie Pippen used to dunk on people. That truly was the definition of a facial.

[CROBulls]

Yup he is special. Guy last game said "I can play better". And in next one he destroyed

[DASMACKDOWN]

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[UcanUwill]

I just gave you numbers. You can do whatever you want with them. I never gave you an opinion on either player FWIW.

Buzelis has tremendous potential. It's also a complete joke to say he has more star potential than Rose. Both of these statements can be true at the same time.

Why don't you plainly say what your point was by posting their combine numbers?

Some people might think Matas potential all around game could end up being more valuable then what Rose could give you.

Rose was MVP guys... As non Bull fan lurker, I will take a risk here and say he was not deserving that MVP, in my opinion, but point is, he was a superstar at very young age.

Its cool to see people liking our guy, but it is also concerning, cause not to sound like Yoda, but hype and unchecked expectations almost always lead to disappointment, and that leads to fanbase hating a guy for him just being who he is.

I said, guys, you got lucky with this guy at 11, he is good gamble bet, could end up better wing than number 1 pick ftom this draft, wouldn't be shocking revelation, kid has potential, but lets not expect him to be better than best Bull since Jordan era, thats a bit stupid. Bulls fans were a bit in a shi**er for two decades, outside of Rose and Noah short lived glimses, so you grasping for sonething. but take it easy, there is light here now.

Do you have your own pick? Hopefully you guys sucking it out hext season, Giddey and Matas end up good, decent, and hopefully you get something even more exiting next June, top few prizes in next years draft look paticularly juicy.

[UcanUwill]

Way too early to tell, but Matas definitely looks to me like one of the better rookies we've drafted. Of course Rose was in another universe, but maybe he's up there with Deng and Lauri as the best combo of skills and length. Doesn't have Lauri's shot, but he has that block timing and his handles and passing look promising (unlike Deng's), and he doesn't seem scared of isolating. If he gets that 3P% in order, he might be the first guy since Kukoc to offer some (secondary) PG skills in a 6'10 frame.

I think Portland, Detroit and Charlotte over-thought this draft.

Spurs too. Adding Matas next to Wemby could have been..... extremely interesting

I’d agree except that they drafted the best player in the draft and a guy who is going to form a virtually comprehensively devastating inside/outside defensive core for a decade.

So you not drinking Commander Sheppard cool aid? We all been drinking that the last few days

[Jcool0]

Buzelis has tremendous potential. It's also a complete joke to say he has more star potential than Rose. Both of these statements can be true at the same time.

Why don't you plainly say what your point was by posting their combine numbers?

Some people might think Matas potential all around game could end up being more valuable then what Rose could give you.

Rose was MVP guys... As non Bull fan lurker, I will take a risk here and say he was not deserving that MVP, in my opinion, but point is, he was a superstar at very young age.

Its cool to see people liking our guy, but it is also concerning, cause not to sound like Yoda, but hype and unchecked expectations almost always lead to disappointment, and that leads to fanbase hating a guy for him just being who he is.

I said, guys, you got lucky with this guy at 11, he is good gamble bet, could end up better wing than number 1 pick ftom this draft, wouldn't be shocking revelation, kid has potential, but lets not expect him to be better than best Bull since Jordan era, thats a bit stupid. Bulls fans were a bit in a shi**er for two decades, outside of Rose and Noah short lived glimses, so you grasping for sonething. but take it easy, there is light here now.

Do you have your own pick? Hopefully you guys sucking it out hext season, Giddey and Matas end up good, decent, and hopefully you get something even more exiting next June, top few prizes in next years draft look paticularly juicy.

6'9" wing who can play defense and score at all three levels is pretty much what every NBA team wants. He might never max out as a #1 player on a team but if he is a #2 or #3 guy that would be amazing. Rose was great for the Bulls and those were fun times to be a fan but he was 6'3" guy who didn't play that much D and was more a score first PG. He had limitations and got hurt before those became an issue. Matas can be a better all around player then Rose, while almost certainly not reaching an MVP level.

[CROBulls]

I dislike this part of Bulls fandom. So please. Dont start building up, hyping up player and putting crazy expectations on him, only to start tear him down in 2 years if he doesnt become what you envision him to be. Let him be who he is and let him develop. So stop with somewhat crazy talk.

[coldfish]

Only watched highlights. For the life of me, I have no idea how Buzelis shot as bad as he did from 3p range in G league. He has really nice form.

Like with Vuc, its pretty obvious why he shoots poorly. The ball looks like a Scud missile being launched out of his hands. Buzelis doesn't look anything like that.

[UcanUwill]

Some people might think Matas potential all around game could end up being more valuable then what Rose could give you.

Rose was MVP guys... As non Bull fan lurker, I will take a risk here and say he was not deserving that MVP, in my opinion, but point is, he was a superstar at very young age.

Its cool to see people liking our guy, but it is also concerning, cause not to sound like Yoda, but hype and unchecked expectations almost always lead to disappointment, and that leads to fanbase hating a guy for him just being who he is.

I said, guys, you got lucky with this guy at 11, he is good gamble bet, could end up better wing than number 1 pick ftom this draft, wouldn't be shocking revelation, kid has potential, but lets not expect him to be better than best Bull since Jordan era, thats a bit stupid. Bulls fans were a bit in a shi**er for two decades, outside of Rose and Noah short lived glimses, so you grasping for sonething. but take it easy, there is light here now.

Do you have your own pick? Hopefully you guys sucking it out hext season, Giddey and Matas end up good, decent, and hopefully you get something even more exiting next June, top few prizes in next years draft look paticularly juicy.

6'9" wing who can play defense and score at all three levels is pretty much what every NBA team wants. He might never max out as a #1 player on a team but if he is a #2 or #3 guy that would be amazing. Rose was great for the Bulls and those were fun times to be a fan but he was 6'3" guy who didn't play that much D and was more a score first PG. He had limitations and got hurt before those became an issue. Matas can be a better all around player then Rose, while almost certainly not reaching an MVP level.

Well, if hes better than Rose, we Lithuanians have our saviour and hes probably number 2 in our goat rankings. We will see, your words to gods ear or whatever religious people say.

I just wantv o say that I love your avatar. I am probably by far the biggest golden age Simpsons reference maker on general board.

- You're out there somewhere, Beer Baron! and I'll find you.
- No, you wont....!

[MrSparkle]

I dislike this part of Bulls fandom. So please. Dont start building up, hyping up player and putting crazy expectations on him, only to start tear him down in 2 years if he doesnt become what you envision him to be. Let him be who he is and let him develop. So stop with somewhat crazy talk.

Just plainly saying, he’s a good prospect.

If I had to pick 1 thing, it’s that his IQ is miles above most rookies we’ve drafted. I think Deng, Jimmy, Lauri and Niko were up there, latter two having played meaningful FIBA/Euro games before wearing the Bulls jersey.

That, and for the first time we have that matched with length, handles and shooting... and some tenacity? Pretty cool. Not building him a statue, but good place to start.

I liked Wendell, Lauri, Pat and Coby out the gate too, and they severely plateau’d or regressed, so I’m no stranger to the process (and rookie contract injuries - sigh). But at the very least, we’ve already got a more dynamic well-rounded prospect- almost every skill box is checked, so jack of all trades with length is not a bad thing.

In fact, I could still see him sitting on Donovan’s bench a lot. I really hope he doesn’t screw his development/confidence up. IMO Matas needs the Popovic type tough love, but in-game. He seems to want tough coaching. Hopefully this changes our locker room, as it seems like our 3 “stars” created a culture of emotional comradery (good) and ego/fragility (bad). The locker room needed to get much more tough.

[DuckIII]

Spurs too. Adding Matas next to Wemby could have been..... extremely interesting

I’d agree except that they drafted the best player in the draft and a guy who is going to form a virtually comprehensively devastating inside/outside defensive core for a decade.

So you not drinking Commander Sheppard cool aid? We all been drinking that the last few days

He looks damn good too and shortly before the draft began there was a late report from Woj that Reed was in play to go #1 to ATL.

I’m just going by my projection. Not summer league. I had Castle as the #1 and I’ll stick with that.

[Jcool0]

I’d agree except that they drafted the best player in the draft and a guy who is going to form a virtually comprehensively devastating inside/outside defensive core for a decade.

So you not drinking Commander Sheppard cool aid? We all been drinking that the last few days

He looks damn good too and shortly before the draft began there was a late report from Woj that Reed was in play to go #1 to ATL.

I’m just going by my projection. Not summer league. I had Castle as the #1 and I’ll stick with that.

Would Reed be a more fundamentally sound Kyrie Irving?

[MrSparkle]

Man, if Reed ends up being a quick path star, best player in this draft… while Risacher is a mid 3D wing of sorts (kinda soft to be a defensive stopper, imo, and the 3P is still a project), I dunno how the Hawks live with themselves.

[GoBlue72391]

It's crazy that Buzelis fell to us at 11. We're unbelievably lucky.

[DASMACKDOWN]

Man, if Reed ends up being a quick path star, best player in this draft… while Risacher is a mid 3D wing of sorts (kinda soft to be a defensive stopper, imo, and the 3P is still a project), I dunno how the Hawks live with themselves.

In all honesty though, I dont think anyone would hold it against ATL. If you go into the draft and all the experts say that basically there is no real #1 in this draft. Then the draft will have more variance for error. I didn't envy them to tell you the truth.

[drosestruts]

I thought "there's no way I stay awake for this whole game" but Matas certainly got my attention and was all the fuel I needed to stay awake.

As someone who was a little more skeptical on Matas there's a few things I really liked

- His handles, vision, and passing are far better than I knew. Being able to "get to your spot" independently is one of the biggest things separating good from great players. I don't think he'll be a 6'9" point guard or lead ball handler or anything like that, but a guy you feel confident in when he does have the ball in creating at times for himself or others.

- That pump-fake 3-pointer, into a drive to the hoop, with a quick stop and floater was AMAZING. (happened in the 2nd quarter). Matas was in control the whole time. Got the first defender with the pump fake, drove in but not out of control like you'd expect from a rookie who knows he can jam it. Sees Podz coming over who is one of the best charge takers in the NBA, and has the control and sense to stop on a dime and hit a floater. It's not gonna be the highlight you see on social media today - but it was hands down his best play of the night.

- Confidence is unshaken. At one point in the game Matas air-balled a 3-pointer, the Bulls kept possession, Matas re-located to the corner, got the pass, and without hesitation took and made that 3-point shot, mere seconds after airballing one. A lot of players, especially young players, would hesitate to put up that second 3-point attempt after having just missed one. But Matas showed no hesitation, and again it's another small thing that stood out to me.

- I think Matas will look even better when playing with better teammates. He could of had 35+ easily if better teammates recognized and hit him on cuts or times when he got out and ran on the fast-break. Giddey and Vuc both I think will see and hit Matas on his often very well-time cuts. Matas is not going to stand in a corner and watch - he likes to cut, recognizes when to do so, and loves to dunk it.


Why are Podz and TJD even playing in summer league?

[Jcool0]

Man, if Reed ends up being a quick path star, best player in this draft… while Risacher is a mid 3D wing of sorts (kinda soft to be a defensive stopper, imo, and the 3P is still a project), I dunno how the Hawks live with themselves.

In all honesty though, I dont think anyone would hold it against ATL. If you go into the draft and all the experts say that basically there is no real #1 in this draft. Then the draft will have more variance for error. I didn't envy them to tell you the truth.

If you had a clear #1 pick and they took him and it didn't work out you can say well you cant fault them for taking the best guy at the time. If there isn't a clear #1 guy and you have the #1 pick then you are going to get killed for passing on the guy who became the best player in the draft. So if Reed is the best guy, why did Atlanta not see it and pass on him. Because some had him as the #1 guy. Its not like Haliburton going 12th and people being mad he wasn't taken at 4.

[MrSparkle]

Man, if Reed ends up being a quick path star, best player in this draft… while Risacher is a mid 3D wing of sorts (kinda soft to be a defensive stopper, imo, and the 3P is still a project), I dunno how the Hawks live with themselves.

In all honesty though, I dont think anyone would hold it against ATL. If you go into the draft and all the experts say that basically there is no real #1 in this draft. Then the draft will have more variance for error. I didn't envy them to tell you the truth.

Well, I think their fans would. I’m going off the report that their FO saw Reed as the Mahomes of the draft, but they went for need over BPA… And combined with them skipping Luka for Trae. Busting with Cam, Hunter (injury’s fault), Okongwu… been a rough stretch after a promising start (inc. the eventual Collins contract dump).

Risacher looks like he’ll be a very good pro, but my vibe is he’s gonna struggle in half-court sets, and will need time to get his NBA shot.

Anyway, I’m interested in seeing this ROY race play out. Hilarious if it comes down to Reed and Edey (after all the hate), or Matas (that would be great).

IMO Castle, Sarr and Risacher may have too ugly a FG% (and probably Matas too) in their developmental season, but Castle for sure projects like an all star.

Topic is also going to return next year into a zero pressure stacked OKC situation. I’m a little skeptical he’ll have a good NBA career after the ACL- but being able to come off the bench on a 3P loaded team with rim protection, load management, ought to be a best case scenario.

[Clint Eastwood]

I thought "there's no way I stay awake for this whole game" but Matas certainly got my attention and was all the fuel I needed to stay awake.

As someone who was a little more skeptical on Matas there's a few things I really liked

- His handles, vision, and passing are far better than I knew. Being able to "get to your spot" independently is one of the biggest things separating good from great players. I don't think he'll be a 6'9" point guard or lead ball handler or anything like that, but a guy you feel confident in when he does have the ball in creating at times for himself or others.

- That pump-fake 3-pointer, into a drive to the hoop, with a quick stop and floater was AMAZING. (happened in the 2nd quarter). Matas was in control the whole time. Got the first defender with the pump fake, drove in but not out of control like you'd expect from a rookie who knows he can jam it. Sees Podz coming over who is one of the best charge takers in the NBA, and has the control and sense to stop on a dime and hit a floater. It's not gonna be the highlight you see on social media today - but it was hands down his best play of the night.

- Confidence is unshaken. At one point in the game Matas air-balled a 3-pointer, the Bulls kept possession, Matas re-located to the corner, got the pass, and without hesitation took and made that 3-point shot, mere seconds after airballing one. A lot of players, especially young players, would hesitate to put up that second 3-point attempt after having just missed one. But Matas showed no hesitation, and again it's another small thing that stood out to me.

- I think Matas will look even better when playing with better teammates. He could of had 35+ easily if better teammates recognized and hit him on cuts or times when he got out and ran on the fast-break. Giddey and Vuc both I think will see and hit Matas on his often very well-time cuts. Matas is not going to stand in a corner and watch - he likes to cut, recognizes when to do so, and loves to dunk it.


Why are Podz and TJD even playing in summer league?

This post deserved more than an And 1, so i am quoting it