The tough-love approach for the Bulls' Matas Buzelis is alive and well
NEW YORK – It’s one of the higher compliments Billy Donovan can put on a young player.
Matas Buzelis is not a “Well, but” guy.
There’s a lot of those around the NBA. That 20-something that nods his head in understanding when he’s being called out for something that went wrong, only to preface it with a “Well, but …”
Not the second-year Bulls forward, as the last few days were a reminder of. Buzelis was benched for the entire fourth quarter in the two-point win over Utah on Wednesday. There was no hanging of the head or excuse making, as he came out in the opening quarter against the Nets staying aggressive on the offensive side while trying to right his wrongs on the other end of the floor.
“For Matas it’s more a standard of his controllables,” Donovan said on Friday. “Are you putting a body on someone to block out, are you using your length and size where you’re supposed to be if you’re the low man to give a little bit of rim protection, are you trying to put your body in plays? Those are the kind of things he needs to do to take that step as a player.”
Donovan has spoken about Buzelis and the tough-love approach to coaching him numerous times, but went more in-depth on the topic, pointing out that out of high school and playing for G League Ignite before the Bulls drafted him, Buzelis “quite honestly, he had no idea what went into winning. None.”
Add to the fact that Buzelis wants to be coached hard, and Donovan is all about helping his second-year player chase down greatness.
“I’m just trying to put on him the things that he can control that would impact winning, regardless of if he’s making or missing shots,” Donovan said. “He just kind of can move forward and take the information and figure out where he’s got to get better and how he’s got to get better, and I admire that about him. He’s not a guy that buries his head where you gotta pick him up, ‘C’mon, everything is going to be OK.’ You never have to do that with him.
“He always comes back with, ‘I messed that up, I messed this up, I gotta be better, I got to put my body here.’ I appreciate that. There’s never ever from him, ‘Well but, but this …’ Never does that. I think he really utilizes mistakes as a way to grow.”
Something seems to be clicking. Even with the poor showing against Utah, January has been Buzelis’ best month of the season so far, averaging 17.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while averaging 3.9 free throw attempts per game.
Giddey up
Starting point guard Josh Giddey missed his ninth straight game, but there was more positive news on the strained left hamstring front.
The Bulls’ G League team is back from a West Coast trip and was scheduled to get a practice in on Sunday. The hope is that Giddey can jump in and really test the injury, still looking for a return at some point next week.
“So far with the ramp up that he’s started there have been no setbacks,” Donovan said. “I think he feels pretty good. He’s certainly progressing in a good way.”
Happy returns
The bench got a bit deeper for Donovan against the Nets as Julian Phillips was available. The third-year reserve missed the last two games with a sprained right wrist, but after getting through pregame warmups with no pain was given the green light.