Matas Buzelis entered the 2024 NBA Draft widely viewed as a top-10 pick. He exited the draft as Chicago Bulls’ lone selection at No. 11 overall and may very well prove to be a bona fide draft steal for the franchise.
The case for Buzelis being a “2024 NBA Draft steal” was emphatically demonstrated throughout the Bulls' five Summer League games in Las Vegas. Buzelis delivered results in the box score by averaging 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks per game while also delivering jaw-dropping dunks in every Bulls' Summer League contest.
So what should Buzelis focus on between now and the start of the 2024 NBA preseason?
Defense.
Buzelis earned plenty of Summer League buzz because of his handle and dunks. However, taking into consideration the Bulls' questionable roster construction Buzelis may face between the additions of Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith plus the continued existence of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the rookie would be wise to set a defensive tone the team desperately needs.
Upon reviewing all five of the Bulls' 2024 NBA Summer League games, there's a defensive story to tell about Buzelis’s game. Here are the clips that tell the story.
On-Ball Defense
Matas Buzelis functioned primarily as an on-ball defender in his Summer League debut and his defensive development areas were exposed pretty quickly. In multiple Bulls' defensive possessions, Buzelis was screened by the opposing offense when he defended at the point of attack, such as in the following clip in which he gives up a lob attempt.
On one hand, Matas absolutely needs to work on his screen-navigation ability to avoid becoming a match-up target that opposing offenses will hunt for in their pick-and-roll actions. On the other hand, the Bulls' Summer League coaching staff wisely adjusted Buzelis’s primary defensive responsibility from on-ball defender to off-ball help defender for the rest of the schedule after the opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Another development area for Buzelis regarding his on-ball defense is his lateral mobility. In this clip, the youngster gives up a driving lane to his defensive assignment, which leads to a drive-and-kick three-point make.
The development focus for Buzelis over the remainder of the summer is to work on his defensive footwork, agility, and on-ball screen navigation. Doing so will help him become a defender who takes away driving lanes instead of creating them for the opponent.
Help Defense
As a help defender away from the ball, Matas Buzelis’s strengths on defense are more apparent. In the following clip, notice his ability to chase and stick with his defensive assignment despite Brandin Podziemski’s brush screen.
After the Bulls' first Summer League game against the Bucks, Buzelis’s defensive role altered from taking on-ball defender responsibilities to an off-ball help defender role either as a low man or in this clip as a weak-side defender with an eye on the gap the opposing offense attempts to use as a driving lane for the ball.
Right now, Buzelis is a more valuable defender when his defense is applied through his wingspan as opposed to his lateral movement. Again, the big hope for Buzelis’s first season is that he improves his defensive footwork so the Bulls can trust him as an on-ball defender or a defender who gets drawn into pick-and-roll action.
Weak-Side Rim Protection
Rim protection of any type has been mostly absent from the Bulls roster throughout the AKME regime, a take verified by Alex Caruso himself.
Adding Matas Buzelis to the mix represents an opportunity to finally insert legitimate rim protection into the Bulls roster. Buzelis’s rim-protection skills are an extension of his help defense. Rather than function as a drop coverage or traditional big that defends the rim while on the ball, Buzelis uses his athleticism to rotate toward well-timed block and shot-contest opportunities.
Overall, the 2024 Summer League slate provided Bulls Nation with its first glimpse of Buzelis’s offensive upside. Bulls fans should pay equal attention to Buzelis’s defensive development areas and upside because his defensive upside may prove to be more valuable to the team than his offensive upside.
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