NEW YORK — This has been a year of milestones for Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis.
In a matter of months, he went from a deep rotation player to a starter on his hometown team. He earned an invitation to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and a last-minute nod as a Rising Star during All-Star weekend.
It’s enough to turn any 20-year-old’s head, but Buzelis is trying to keep an even keel. He was unfazed by his early elimination from the dunk contest, focusing instead on the surreal experience of briefly speaking with his longtime idol, Tracy McGrady.
As he enters the home stretch of his debut season, Buzelis now is chasing a new goal — using the last 27 games to inject himself into the Rookie of the Year debate.
“I could definitely make a run for it,” he said. “I definitely believe that and I’m going to manifest it.”
In other seasons, this might seem like a dire long shot. Buzelis was averaging only 6.4 points and 14.8 minutes entering Thursday night’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He didn’t earn his first start until two weeks ago, when the Bulls began to pave the way for him to shoulder an increased workload in the wake of Zach LaVine’s departure. Buzelis ranks 16th among NBA rookies in total playing time.
But this year’s Rookie of the Year competition is different. The 2024 draft class offered an unpredictable mix, which was clear when the Atlanta Hawks reportedly attempted to shop the No. 1 pick in the weeks leading up to draft night.
The Rookie of the Year race was further derailed when Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain — who quickly became the unexpected front-runner while averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in his first 23 games — suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in December.
Now the projected front-runners fluctuate every week. San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is the current favorite according to DraftKings sportsbook, although Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher also have held that position.
Buzelis has yet to rise into the top five betting favorites — but moving into the starting lineup could be the spark that propels him into the debate.
Over the previous 10 games before Thursday, Buzelis was third among rookies in scoring with 12.8 points per game. And he averaged 13.3 points on 51.3% shooting in his first four starts with one blocked shot per game.
Is that enough to wedge his way into the Rookie of the Year conversation? Buzelis is leaving that up to the experts.
“I would like to win that award for sure,” he said. “I also want to win as many games as possible. But you know, if you win the games, then you’ll be in that conversation.”
Winning might be the ultimate barrier in Buzelis’ attempt to join the race. The Bulls had lost 13 of their last 17 games before Thursday and traded their best player at the deadline. They lost all four games Buzelis started before the All-Star break.
That trend is likely to continue as they struggle to find offensive answers without LaVine supplying the bulk of the scoring. And while Buzelis has found success with his outside shot and at the rim as a dunker, he hasn’t grown into a shot creator who can revitalize an offense.
Most of the Bulls are braced for impact as they enter the season’s final stretch. While scoring is crucial, Buzelis is focused primarily on improving his defense — off-ball positioning, screen navigation — and not the flashier side of his game that might make an impact in award voting.
But even as a lower-volume rookie, Buzelis feels confident in his standing among his fellow 2024 draftees.
“I have all the talent to do it,” he said. “It’s just about playing hard, getting stops on defense, running, finding my teammates. The ball finds energy. That’s what I’m going to do.”
