It’s often only a split second that separates Matas Buzelis from pure brilliance.
The moment occurs well before he leaves the ground. Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette. Or scoops the ball behind his back and low to the ground like a yo-yo on a string.
For Buzelis, the make-or-break millisecond before any highlight happens behind the 3-point arc, far from the basket, when the second-year forward discards hesitancy and makes a decision: Let’s go for it.
In Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic, that moment of truth was visible on the court.
It was midway through the second quarter. Jalen Smith tipped a defensive rebound just beyond the 3-point arc, where Buzelis could gather and go. For a moment, he ran at almost a casual pace, head up, perusing the options as Jalen Suggs retreated to assume the defensive responsibility on the two-on-one break.
As Buzelis reached the Bulls’ 3-point line, his decision snapped into focus.
No more dribbles. Pick up the ball parallel to the free-throw line. Plant his feet just inside the paint. Elevate. Pull the ball back like a weapon, ready for the downward blow. Accept everything that comes after — the blow to the face as Suggs flailed at the ball, the roar from the United Center as the ball crushed through the rim, the feigned disbelief of his teammates on the bench who have seen this all too many times before.
“That might be the dunk of the year.”
Matas Buzelis makes his case for slam of the season! https://t.co/bODetJUvLO pic.twitter.com/5OpMnFAMjh
— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2026
“I don’t know,” Buzelis said, shaking his head with a grin after the win. “I just did it.”
That game represented a template for Buzelis, who logged 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He crashed the boards, continued to pepper in 3-point shots despite a slow start in the first half and operated as the crucial first blow in a one-two punch in the pick-and-roll with center Nikola Vučević.
The dunk was just a little extra gravy on top.
It’s hard to define the most “complete” game of any player’s career. But Buzelis’ performance Friday easily earns that designation — mostly because, for the first time in his brief tenure with the team, the Bulls needed Buzelis.
That was somewhat true at the start of this season. With most of last year’s roster returning, the front office and coaching staff were open about how Buzelis’ growth would define how much this team could grow and compete in 2025-26.
It wasn’t meant to put pressure on Buzelis — it’s a simple fact. If Buzelis has a breakout season, the Bulls could rise above their current potential. If he stays quiet, it’s likely more of the same.
But with Josh Giddey and Coby White sidelined by injuries, the Bulls are looking to Buzelis for inspiration.
Over the last three games without both starting guards, Buzelis averaged 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and four assists. He shot 24% from 3-point range in that span — a significant dip from his 33.9% season average — as the Bulls went 2-1 without their leading sources of points and assists.
This is a step up from Buzelis’ typical output. But is it enough?
“Consistency” is one of Buzelis’ most-used words this season. He seeks routine and ritual in every aspect of his daily life as he works to build the habits of a professional athlete. He’s quick to point out his struggles to stamp statement performances in back-to-back games, a sticking point as he nears the halfway point of his second season.
Buzelis doesn’t want to force things. That might seem incongruous with the lofty goals he eagerly shared in training camp. He wants to win Most Improved Player and end up on one of the All-Defensive teams this season. But he also doesn’t want to stray from the growth process the Bulls coaching staff set out for him.
This is a rarity — and one the Bulls should cherish. This is a 21-year-old with eye-popping skills, who could dunk better than any of his teammates (well, Zach LaVine might have argued that one) from the moment he set foot in the NBA. But Buzelis still is trying to do things the right way. He doesn’t want to show off. He wants to be great.
At times, this intentionality has been vexing. Fans gripe about the dynamic between Buzelis and coach Billy Donovan, who still isn’t afraid to pull the forward back to the bench after coverage mistakes or all-too-frequent fouls. And Buzelis can be hesitant, taking only five shots in a Dec. 27 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
It’s true that Buzelis needs to learn to take the reins. His diligence and selflessness will be assets throughout his career. His coachability is a strength. But the Bulls need to be able to set him loose on an opponent at will — and he still hasn’t shown he has the capacity to take over a game for more than a quarter at a time.
That’s understandable. Buzelis is young. Such offensive dominance requires a keen understanding of the game in addition to physical gifts and playmaking. The only way to teach Buzelis how to command these moments is to allow him to play through them. While injuries have devastated the Bulls this season, they also have offered Buzelis more minutes as the primary playmaker.
There’s no rush. The Bulls are hovering around .500, sitting on the middle rung of the Eastern Conference that they can’t surpass without the full force of their roster. The front office has no serious expectations for this team to compete deep into the playoffs.
But for this season to be any sort of long-term success for the Bulls, Buzelis must keep building his identity as a No. 1 option on the court — one split-second decision at a time.