Bulls' 'fascinating prospect' explodes for 28 points, monster dunk in Vegas

Did the Chicago Bulls get the steal of the 2024 NBA Draft?

While it's unwise to draw conclusions about players too rapidly, Chicago's lottery pick Matas Buzelis is flashing signs of immense potential through two summer league games.

After a poor shooting night (and otherwise promising showing) in his debut, Buzelis poured in 28 points on Monday in Las Vegas versus the Golden State Warriors' summer squad.

Buzelis went 4-8 from distance in the game and punctuated his 20-point second half with a violent poster dunk over Daeqwon Plowden on the fast break.

Players, fans and analysts alike are already impressed with Buzelis, and it's his eye-opening versatility that has people like Bleacher Nation's Elias Schuster labeling Buzelis a "fascinating prospect."

Buzelis made it clear from the start of his first summer league game that he's an aggressive player on both ends, and in game two on Monday he settled into his jumper.

Beyond the three-ball, Buzelis showed off a crafty mid-range floater and a knack for off-ball cutting, two skills that will immediately separate him from a lot of NBA scorers.

Buzelis is obviously years away from becoming a franchise wing (and so much could happen between now and then), but he appears to have all the ingredients at the outset of his NBA journey: height, athleticism, instincts, touch, tenacity, and feel for the game.

Once the regular season starts, Buzelis will probably be turnover-prone in the half court as he adjusts to way stronger defenders and more quickly disappearing driving lanes, but he'll be an open court threat from day one.

Defensively, Buzelis will be underrated for the rest of his career based on his frame. In actuality, his effort, shot-blocking instincts, length, and overlooked quickness for his size will allow him to hold his own and even become a plus-defender once he hits his mid-twenties.

Is Buzelis possibly Andrei Kirilenko 2.0? It's far too early to tell, but he might even have the chance to be one of a kind.

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