The Chicago Bulls didn't go for the full roster implosion many had hoped, but Zach Lavine's exit ensured they regained their 1st round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Presuming the team continues dipping in the standings, they will at least have an outside shot at landing the golden goose of the 2025 class: Duke forward Cooper Flagg. Many have compared him to the likes of Jayson Tatum and Scottie Pippen. He's an athletic big man with great range, excellent defensive prowess, and a quickly evolving offensive repertoire. Most consider him an elite prospect. So, what does Matas Buzelis have to do with this?
Kendall Gill played in the NBA for 16 seasons. After retiring, he became a television analyst. He's seen a lot of basketball, so it was jarring to hear him say on 670 The Score that Buzelis will end up being a better player than Flagg. After Bernstein and Harris reacted with pure disbelief, he explained his reasoning for the assessment.
“Guess what guys? You already got Cooper Flagg."
“I watched Matas take Cooper Flagg apart when they played one-on-one,” Gill said. “I saw it with my own eyes. Believe me when I tell you.
“(Matas) is bigger, he can handle the basketball better. In my opinion, he’s more athletic. They both have the same mentality, but I like Matas’ upside simply because I like his athleticism more and I like his mentality more than Cooper Flagg. He can also shoot the basketball better than Cooper Flagg.
“Three years from now, you’re going to be saying Kendall was right.”
The basic assessment is if two players are alike mentally, the advantage goes to the better athlete. That is Buzelis. Maybe Gill said it for shock value. Then again, there are signs he may know what he's talking about.
Matas Buzelis is starting to assert himself.
Since January 27th, the Bulls gave their rookie forward a considerable bump in minutes. Before that, he'd been averaging 12.7 minutes per game with 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks. Since then, he has been averaging 26.1 minutes with 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. His 3-point shooting percentage is 48% on around 3.6 attempts per game. Keep in mind Pippen averaged 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks on similar minutes during his rookie season.
None of this proves anything. It merely points out that the 11th overall pick might be considerably better than people are giving him credit for. The fact Matas Buzelis didn't go to college might've played into that because he didn't have the NCAA media machine behind him like Flagg does. One thing is certain. If Gill is correct, this could end up being one of the great steals in Bulls history.
