When the Bulls drafted him, I was intrigued; he seemed like he could be a ball player. Most of the time this season, Billy has stashed him on the bench; thanks Billy. Lately, his minutes have been creeping up, and he has been delivering. He played more than 20 minutes in a game 3 times in 20 games. In January, he played over 20 minutes 2 times in 16 games!!! Those 2 games… the last 2 games of the month. He played 26 minutes on Sunday in Detroit, and on Tuesday night at the UC against the Heat, Matas played a season high 31 minutes. How’d he do? How’s 10 for 10 from the field, including 4 three pointers, for a career high 24 points. Hello Matas!
He’s scored in double digits each of the past 4 games, you know, when he actually played… over 20 minutes in each case. If Billy doesn’t continue to play him, I’m going to start making signs at the UC to Fire Billy and Free Matas. If he doesn’t play him, I want the Bulls to trade everybody off the roster so he has no choice to play him… kind of like that scene in Moneyball… haha. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that; I think Matas is here to stay, and that my friends, feels like a very, very good thing. He’s already been one of the most exciting reasons to watch the Bulls, and he’s barely just begun. Sure, he’s a rookie… he’s rough around the edges… he’ll make mistakes… but the talent is there, no? You can see it right?
I like the fact that he goes up strong, and dunks the ball, every, single, time he can. I like the fact that he blocks shots. Sure, his defense may not be top notch; playing on this team, and for that matter on most teams in the NBA today, defense is a lost art, but at least he blocks shots. He’s already a better shot blocker than Vooch, although I guess that’s not saying much. The kid can play ok. If AKME did one thing right in their time in the Bulls front office, it was drafting this kid. I don’t want to “put him in the hall” quite yet, like Chuck says on the radio broadcast, but it sure feels like the Bulls got this pick right. HE can be the cornerstone of the next great Bulls team; who else will be on the team with him, well, that’s a whole other story…
I feel like there are similarities in this situation, with Connor Bedard. The Hawks have a great, great talent and have yet to build around him properly. How long will it take the Bulls to build a team around this guy? Am I getting too excited about Buzelis? Is he on Bedard’s level? I don’t know. I do know, that in the past 3 years, outside of those couple months with Lonzo at his peak, this is the most optimistic I’ve been about anything to do with the Bulls, period, and it feels good. Oh yeah, the Bulls won the game too; 1-0 post Zach. Go Bulls!
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