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Which Bulls Player Stepped Up vs Pistons in Absence of Coby White?

In their first preseason game, the Bulls played without Coby White and a young rising star stepped up for the team.

Jared Knobloch

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) points with Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) points with Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bulls began their preseason expeditions with a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. In the nail-biter, the Bulls came back from behind to win the game 118-117 in the final minute.

Chicago was without star guard Coby White, who is still sidelined with a strained calf. With White out, the Bulls needed someone to step up as a scoring threat -- which turned out to be rising sophomore Matas Buzelis.

Buzelis is a second-year forward who finished last season strong and made a statement in Chicago's preseason opener on Tuesday night.

Matas Buzelis' Statement Performance

The 6-foot-10 forward finished the night with 19 points and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes. He went 7-of-11 from the field and led all scorers in the game.

Buzelis clearly took charge for Chicago, especially against an Eastern Conference rival in the Cavaliers. This was a great game to showcase his skillset, and especially with White sidelined, the Bulls needed him to step up.

As for the return of White, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is optimistic, but not guaranteeing he'll be seeing any preseason minutes.

Buzelis in the point forward role almost seemed natural, as he has said, ‘‘I was a point guard when I was younger, so it’s me getting back to my roots. It’s like second nature.’’

Other Contributions And The Direction Chicago Might Head

Ayo Dosunmu also had a quiet yet efficient night, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-6 from the field in 19 minutes off the bench. Of course, ten of those points came in a first-quarter outburst, while he was much more timid the rest of the night.

When everyone expected Josh Giddey to be the guy for Chicago, it was Buzelis and Dosunmu who took most of the offensive load.

Dosunmu also put in those buckets as a sixth man, being described as a "spark plug." While he has been on the radar as a potential trade piece, for him to come and have a solid first outing is a positive sign, regardless of his future.

It looks like the Bulls are having their eyes opened in real time that Buzelis could be a real talent for them, and head coach Billy Donovan is certainly seeing the vision.

‘‘He’s going to have total freedom to do that,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I think the thing with Matas that he’s going to have to continue to develop and grow upon — and, listen, there’s still this development phase for him — but when he has the ball in his hands, he still has to recognize spacing on the floor."

Whatever the Bulls' plans are, Buzelis is really proving himself, even without Coby White to pick up the slack. If Tuesday night's game was any indicator, the Bulls should be in good hands.

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Jared Knobloch
JARED KNOBLOCH

Jared Knobloch is a sports journalist based in San Diego. He covers the NBA G League’s San Diego Clippers for The Sporting Tribune and previously reported on San Diego State basketball for The Daily Aztec. He earned his B.A. in Journalism from San Diego State University.

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