Matas Progress Tracker

[Jcool0]

Yes everyone gets it, you hate Patrick Williams and love Zach LaVine.

We don't have a better defender to start at the 4 so Williams has to start.

Matas isn't strong enough defensively yet, he gets weak side blocks which are great but that's not enough.

Don't need to be an ass. Do you think PWill, after 5 seasons, looks as ready to make an impact on the court as Matas? If so, you might try stating your position. That's what a message board is for.

What does Lavine have to do with this discussion? I mean unless you are acknowledging that he continues to prove me correct?

Williams is an adequate defender. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Defensively he's leagues ahead (as he should be) of Matas and Williams is better than an adequate defender, that’s downplaying him.

Buzelis is currently playing limited minutes, it remains to be seen if his impact carries over in more minutes given he won't be able to go balls to the wall the entire time.

Last game played 24 minutes and was a team best +13 despite shooting 2-7 (0-5 from 3).

[Stratmaster]

Yes everyone gets it, you hate Patrick Williams and love Zach LaVine.

We don't have a better defender to start at the 4 so Williams has to start.

Matas isn't strong enough defensively yet, he gets weak side blocks which are great but that's not enough.

Don't need to be an ass. Do you think PWill, after 5 seasons, looks as ready to make an impact on the court as Matas? If so, you might try stating your position. That's what a message board is for.

What does Lavine have to do with this discussion? I mean unless you are acknowledging that he continues to prove me correct?

Williams is an adequate defender. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Defensively he's leagues ahead (as he should be) of Matas and Williams is better than an adequate defender, that’s downplaying him.

Buzelis is currently playing limited minutes, it remains to be seen if his impact carries over in more minutes given he won't be able to go balls to the wall the entire time.

Fair enough. Just IMHO, he is already impacting the game more in 1/4 of a season than Williams has in 5. I don't see any outcome where he is not a better player than Williams. Personally, I think he already is. If Williams comes back and the Bulls become significantly better defensively than so be it.

I think getting Coby out of the starting lineup would be a bigger reason for improvement.

[sco]

Don't need to be an ass. Do you think PWill, after 5 seasons, looks as ready to make an impact on the court as Matas? If so, you might try stating your position. That's what a message board is for.

What does Lavine have to do with this discussion? I mean unless you are acknowledging that he continues to prove me correct?

Williams is an adequate defender. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Defensively he's leagues ahead (as he should be) of Matas and Williams is better than an adequate defender, that’s downplaying him.

Buzelis is currently playing limited minutes, it remains to be seen if his impact carries over in more minutes given he won't be able to go balls to the wall the entire time.

Fair enough. Just IMHO, he is already impacting the game more in 1/4 of a season than Williams has in 5. I don't see any outcome where he is not a better player than Williams. Personally, I think he already is. If Williams comes back and the Bulls become significantly better defensively than so be it.

I think getting Coby out of the starting lineup would be a bigger reason for improvement.

It would be great if Billy somehow transferred his wrong-minded "Pat should be more aggressive" mantra to Matas, and just leave Pat be a defender who shoots 3's.

[Dez]

Don't need to be an ass. Do you think PWill, after 5 seasons, looks as ready to make an impact on the court as Matas? If so, you might try stating your position. That's what a message board is for.

What does Lavine have to do with this discussion? I mean unless you are acknowledging that he continues to prove me correct?

Williams is an adequate defender. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Defensively he's leagues ahead (as he should be) of Matas and Williams is better than an adequate defender, that’s downplaying him.

Buzelis is currently playing limited minutes, it remains to be seen if his impact carries over in more minutes given he won't be able to go balls to the wall the entire time.

Fair enough. Just IMHO, he is already impacting the game more in 1/4 of a season than Williams has in 5. I don't see any outcome where he is not a better player than Williams. Personally, I think he already is. If Williams comes back and the Bulls become significantly better defensively than so be it.

I think getting Coby out of the starting lineup would be a bigger reason for improvement.

I think he will end up better than Williams because his defense will get better with strength and experience.

I'd love to see them play together because I think they could mesh well.

I also agree that Coby should be benched for Ayo, everybody knew that Ayo was the better fit with Giddey, LaVine and Vucevic but they weren't benching Coby after last season.

[Jstock12]

Now same BLK% as Anthony Davis (top10 in the league). I also think this is very sustainable for him because he had a similar BLK% in the G-League last year. This isn't just a 2-month fluke.

[EmpireFalls]

Looked a hell of a lot better than our rook last night. He has legitimately good rim protection instincts, good length. He can do everything out of a triple threat, dribble pass shoot. Obviously a very rough night for efficiency.

Still I’d take him over Salaun 100/100 times. Y’all got a good one. We got a crap one.

[CROBulls]

Looked a hell of a lot better than our rook last night. He has legitimately good rim protection instincts, good length. He can do everything out of a triple threat, dribble pass shoot. Obviously a very rough night for efficiency.

Still I’d take him over Salaun 100/100 times. Y’all got a good one. We got a crap one.

Draft is usually crap shoot. And this draft class is bad. But even as that is, you still believe at some deeper level that people in organization know more than you when they pick a player.

A lot of weird choices in draft, but overall I would say still early to tell who is gonna be good and who is gonna be bad.

[cocktailswith_2short]

We just got lucky lol he was projected to go 1 overall at one point or in the discussion and we got him at 11 .

[boozapalooza]

Read on Twitter

Look at this sh*t!!! Very impressive from the rook. Theres a reason he went 1-11 shooting and still had a +11 +/-.

Meanwhile PWill was 1/7 and had a -15 +/- in just 13 minutes.

We got an absolute steal in Matas. He deserves 20mpg a night.

[Jstock12]

Read on Twitter

Look at this sh*t!!! Very impressive from the rook. Theres a reason he went 1-11 shooting and still had a +11 +/-.

Meanwhile PWill was 1/7 and had a -15 +/- in just 13 minutes.

We got an absolute steal in Matas. He deserves 20mpg a night.

There's just so much good about this clip. Being glued to his man, then the rotation, the closeout, the recovery, another rotation, clean block after geting pump-faked. Love Matas' intensity and focus out there on the defensive end. Even Thibs would find this rookie some minutes after seeing such sequences

[Chi town]

Read on Twitter

Look at this sh*t!!! Very impressive from the rook. Theres a reason he went 1-11 shooting and still had a +11 +/-.

Meanwhile PWill was 1/7 and had a -15 +/- in just 13 minutes.

We got an absolute steal in Matas. He deserves 20mpg a night.

Problem with Buz this season is he’s already a winning player

Kid gonna hurt our pick.

I think the kid is going to be a star. Has a long ways to go but he’s already a winning player. He has given me hope for the future of Bulls hoops

[Jcool0]

3PT shooting is going to determine if he is a franchise player or just a good role guy.

[cocktailswith_2short]

3PT shooting is going to determine if he is a franchise player or just a good role guy.

he just has to be good . He likes to play above the rim and is physical so the free throws should come .

[sco]

3PT shooting is going to determine if he is a franchise player or just a good role guy.

he just has to be good . He likes to play above the rim and is physical so the free throws should come .

True. I like that he doesn't hesitate on the 3pt shot, but he needs to work on his footwork consistency and shortening up his up-motion for a couple years and I think he'll be able to get to above average, and then you've ripped a skylight into his ceiling.

[prolific passer]

He'll be fine.

[Andi Obst]

His defensive instincts and his positioning on that end are special for a rookie. Once he gets stronger, Matas will be a force on defense.

[Chi town]

His defensive instincts and his positioning on that end are special for a rookie. Once he gets stronger, Matas will be a force on defense.

Special. Agreed.

His D is already a force and impacting games. More lean muscle and experience and I think he can be an all defense type.

[Chi town]

3PT shooting is going to determine if he is a franchise player or just a good role guy.

he just has to be good . He likes to play above the rim and is physical so the free throws should come .

True. I like that he doesn't hesitate on the 3pt shot, but he needs to work on his footwork consistency and shortening up his up-motion for a couple years and I think he'll be able to get to above average, and then you've ripped a skylight into his ceiling.

I’ve been focusing on his footwork since I read you mentioned that. You’re right. His feet aren’t consistent stepping into his shot.

I want Buz to shoot on the move and off the bounce moving fwd. Stretch him out.

I’m convinced already he will be at least an average shooter on high volume. I want to see if we can get him making 3s off screens and PNRs.

[sco]

he just has to be good . He likes to play above the rim and is physical so the free throws should come .

True. I like that he doesn't hesitate on the 3pt shot, but he needs to work on his footwork consistency and shortening up his up-motion for a couple years and I think he'll be able to get to above average, and then you've ripped a skylight into his ceiling.

I’ve been focusing on his footwork since I read you mentioned that. You’re right. His feet aren’t consistent stepping into his shot.

I want Buz to shoot on the move and off the bounce moving fwd. Stretch him out.

I’m convinced already he will be at least an average shooter on high volume. I want to see if we can get him making 3s off screens and PNRs.

Agree, but I think the important thing for him this season is to have a defined, but limited role in the offense such that he's getting comfortable with a core skillset that can be built on.

[Chi town]

True. I like that he doesn't hesitate on the 3pt shot, but he needs to work on his footwork consistency and shortening up his up-motion for a couple years and I think he'll be able to get to above average, and then you've ripped a skylight into his ceiling.

I’ve been focusing on his footwork since I read you mentioned that. You’re right. His feet aren’t consistent stepping into his shot.

I want Buz to shoot on the move and off the bounce moving fwd. Stretch him out.

I’m convinced already he will be at least an average shooter on high volume. I want to see if we can get him making 3s off screens and PNRs.

Agree, but I think the important thing for him this season is to have a defined, but limited role in the offense such that he's getting comfortable with a core skillset that can be built on.

It’s obvious that this is Billy’s plan. Hope we get to see phase 2 of it before season’s end.