Matas Buzelis is Putting it All Together: Another Career-High Shows Star Potential for Chicago Bulls

When the Chicago Bulls took down the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second game in a row, Matas Buzelis had his second-highest scoring night of the season with 24 points on 9-15 shooting.

Two days later, that became his third-highest scoring performance of 2025-26, as Buzelis dropped 28 points with a career-high seven made threes in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. Fast forward to Friday night's victory against the Orlando Magic, and Buzelis had himself another first. He paired a career-high 7 assists with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

The Bulls have now won seven of their last nine games following a stretch where they lost eight of nine. While Buzelis isn't the only reason for the turnaround, there is no question that his surge has played a part. The forward is averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game since the team's win over Cleveland on December 17.

Last night's performance against the Magic felt like the culmination of everything Buzelis has built over the last year-plus. I understand that may sound hyperbolic, but hasn't the versatility always been what makes Buzelis feel like a possible star in the making? And what didn't the 21-year-old do last night?

Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Going into halftime with only 4 points on the board, Buzelis came out and set the tone. He went on to score 17 points over the final two quarters, which included 9 points in the final frame. Tied at 102 apiece, Buzelis scored 7 straight points to put the Bulls up 109-104. His offensive rebound a few possessions later also led to a Patrick Williams mid-range jumper. Then, he set up Vucevic for the hook shot on the team's next trip down the floor. It was now 113-106. The Bulls never lost the lead again.

Still, we shouldn't let crunch time bucket-getting distract us from arguably the bigger story. As important as it is that we see him look comfortable scoring in big moments, the fact that he looked equally as comfortable setting up his teammates all night long felt like a major development. Especially with Chicago's two top ball-handlers off the floor, Billy Donovan needed someone to step up as a distributor. Buzelis did that.

Not only did we watch Buzelis push the ball up the floor and find teammates in transition, but he also created in the halfcourt multiple times. He came off a screen, saw a defender take a step in his direction, and dished it to Patrick Williams in the corner for the driving layup. He weaved his way into the teeth of the defense before spinning and dropping it off to Vucevic for the hook shot. Heck, he even served as the pick-and-roll handler at times, feeding his big man in the paint. And he did this against the NBA's 10th-ranked defense!

Really hard not to be excited about last night’s performance from Matas Buzelis.

The ball was in his hands more, and he made the most of it with a career high 7 AST. Some really good decision-making.

This is why the star potential exists. The versatility is tantalizing. pic.twitter.com/24aZsmzG02
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) January 3, 2026

Speaking of which, throw in his consistent aggressiveness on the glass and the three stocks (steals + rebounds), and his two-way impact was on full display. I always say that plus-minus can be a shaky stat, but Buzelis' +14 passed the eye test against a very good Magic team. Even Billy Donovan, who has continuously coached the youngsters hard, couldn't help but admit that the performance felt like a step in the right direction.

“He’s doing a lot of other things. I think people always look at the scoring, but he has the ability and the talent to affect the game a lot of different ways. It was good to see him on the backboard. He made some clutch free throws," Donovan told reporters on Friday. "He had some great finishes at the rim, made some great passes, and made some really good decisions. And that’s what you want to see, is him continuing to evolve as a player where it’s not all catch-and-shoot or playing with the ball, but he’s doing different things.”

Donovan is right. Yes, star players pull off jaw-dropping highlights like Buzelis' epic poster on Jalen Suggs, but they also have their fingerprints all over the game. The more Buzelis can show he is capable of impacting every area of the box score, the more the ball is going to find him in key moments.

This is why the last couple of weeks have stood out among the rest. Whether he's taking eight trips to the charity stripe, draining seven threes, dishing seven assists, or swatting three shots, these performances each serve as a reflection of the multi-faceted impact he can have on a night-to-night basis. And it's only starting to feel like a matter of time before he puts it all together.