Bulls Notes: Matas Buzelis Responds to Benching, A New Lesson Learned, More

One of the biggest stories heading into Saturday night's home opener was how Matas Buzelis would respond. The Chicago Bulls' third-year forward started his 2026-27 campaign on a rough note. He shot just 2-8 in his first outing, following that up with a 2-9 performance against the Bucks. The latter even resulted in a fourth-quarter benching, where Buzelis watched Tiago Splitter ride his second unit until the very end.

You never quite know how a young player will take such a response, especially from a new head coach. But to Buzelis' credit, he kept his head on straight.

“Staying ready: That’s something I’ve been working on since my rookie year when I wasn’t playing," Buzelis said. "I stay ready on the bench … I didn’t play well. We had a great rotation, and we won the game. I’m always ready to play when my name is called.”

It was a mature response from Buzelis, who wisely didn't read too much into Splitter's decision. After all, as he noted, the Bulls came away with the victory. It's hard to quibble when the scoreboard goes your way, especially when your shot isn't falling.

Splitter preached a similar sentiment before the game. When asked again about his decision to sit Buzelis, the head coach shrugged it off and called it not a big deal. More importantly, he sounded confident that Buzelis would respond accordingly on Saturday.

For the most part, Buzelis did just that. He dropped 21 points with 5 rebounds on a highly efficient 7-13 shooting from the field. He picked his spots well offensively and went a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe. It was undoubtedly the most comfortable that Buzelis looked in the Bulls' new offense.

“The coaches do what the coaches think is right, and we won that game. I’m a team player. I’m going to stand up for the next guy … It’s team basketball. He saw something for the team to win. It’s nothing personal. And I was ready for today," Buzelis said.

MATAS BUZELIS POSTER ON ALEX SARR 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nvRvGUkRH0
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 25, 2026

Learning From the Third Quarter

Oct 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter reacts against the Washington Wizards during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What was the one problem with the Chicago Bulls' much-better start against the Washington Wizards? They couldn't sustain it.

It felt like this team showed real growth in the first quarter. Even if the Washington Wizards ended up winning the frame 28-27, the Bulls looked a lot more comfortable in their own skin. Their offense was moving the ball with confidence and finally splashing some catch-and-shoot triples.

The second quarter was even better. Against a slower-moving Wizards squad, the Bulls' tempo became a real advantage. They were flying in the fastbreak and piercing their way to the rim. Caleb Wilson, in particular, was putting together a dunkfest. It resulted in a 62-57 lead going into the halftime locker room. Insurmountable for the Wizards? Of course not, but a great place to be for the young Bulls.

Wait ... did someone say young!?

Unfortunately, the third quarter is where the inexperience started to show. Anthony Davis and Trae Young helped the Wizards find a new rhythm offensively. We watched the Wizards use their size to their advantage, gobbling up second-chance points and going 10-12 in the paint.

“I don’t think we came out ready to play, to be honest," Matas Buzelis said of the collapse. "Part of that is on me as a leader on this team. I got to step up. Like that one drive George took, that kind of set the tone for the third quarter. We should have easily won that game.”

Splitter called out the Bulls for their inconsistent defensive coverages after the game, which led to a 65.2 percent success rate for the Wizards in the third quarter. What made it even more frustrating is that the Bulls got back on track in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wizards by 11 to narrowly pull off the comeback.

“I think the message today was for us to win basketball games, we have got to play 48 minutes," Tiago Splitter said after the game. "We let it down in the third quarter, and that an issue. Then you really have to roll a lot at the end to try to get back in the game, so that third quarter was the whole game.”

The good news is, in a year like this, teachable moments might be as important as wins. It feels safe to assume Splitter will spend plenty of time going over that quarter in the film room. When you're built like this Bulls team, you can't take your foot off the gas for even a minute.

Caleb Wilson's Big Night

Oct 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (8) dunks against the Washington Wizards during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's hard to complain about Caleb Wilson's first three games in a Chicago Bulls uniform.

Despite the Bulls' 1-2 start, the rookie has increasingly lived up to the hype. Fans in attendance for Saturday night's home opener saw his best outing yet, as Wilson dropped 30 points with 14 rebounds and three assists. He is now behind only Michael Jordan for the most total points scored by a Bulls rookie in his first three games.

The dunks, in particular, are what those in attendance will remember most from Wilson's United Center debut. He had five alone in the first half. So, how did he dominate so much around the rim?

“I’m really tall, but I’m on the thinner side, so I just try to run and be faster than everyone. I feel like the biggest adjustment when playing double big is just knowing you have to box out and be physical. That was the biggest thing I was trying to emphasize today … I was able to get a bunch of rebounds, but I should have gotten more.”

On paper, it sure felt like the Wizards had the pieces to slow down Wilson. Whether it be Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, or Deandre Ayton, they have some serious size in the frontcourt. However, what makes Wilson so special is his combination of size and speed. It's a reminder that, no matter which kind of roster he's up against, he has the tools to find success.

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