Matas Buzelis spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench during Wednesday’s win over the Utah Jazz, and Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune argues the decision highlights a broader issue with how the Chicago Bulls are handling the development of the 21-year-old player.
Head coach Billy Donovan explained that the move wasn’t meant to single out Buzelis, pointing instead to the struggles of the entire group during a rough third quarter.
Still, as Poe notes, Donovan brought the other four players back to open the final period while Buzelis remained on the sideline.
“I am not trying to be vindictive at all,” the coach said. “I just think that there’s a standard of play – and with that, an understanding that there’s going to be mistakes, right?
“It’s not so much to teach him a lesson, but there’s certain things he’s got to mentally hold himself accountable to and responsible for.”
Poe contends that this approach reflects a win-first mindset that doesn’t fully align with the Bulls’ long-term outlook.
With Chicago not positioned as a true contender, she argues that prioritizing short-term results over developmental reps may be counterproductive.
Allowing Buzelis to play through mistakes, rather than pulling him at the first sign of inconsistency, could give him the same growth opportunities young players often receive on rebuilding teams, where development outweighs the urgency of each individual win.
Coach Billy Donovan explains why he sat Matas Buzelis for the entire fourth quarter on Wednesday, plus more on the Bulls. https://t.co/y6YiMg1Myp
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 18, 2026
