Matas Buzelis is already seeing the flaw he wants to fix most after a full NBA season: strength.
“I mean, look at me. I’m skinny as hell,” Buzelis told Chicago Tribune. “I definitely have to add strength. Your body’s a temple, so you really want to take care of it.”
That blunt self-scout comes after a sophomore season in which the 21-year-old has produced 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the Chicago Bulls, while also showing the kind of rim pressure that makes him one of the team’s more intriguing long-term pieces.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said the issue is bigger than one rough possession or one bad stretch. “He’s got to get stronger,” Donovan said. “That’s the biggest thing — fighting over screens, on the glass. Sometimes the strength part neutralizes his athleticism and neutralizes his skills.”
Donovan also pointed to the value of adding the right kind of muscle for a young player who already has the size, length and downhill mentality to attack bigger opponents. “For a young player, putting on good quality strength can make them a lot better,” Donovan said. “He needs that. I think you’re seeing that. I’m glad that’s getting exposed, because that’s something we can address in the offseason.”
The timing matters for Chicago, which is sitting at 30-49 and 12th in the Eastern Conference with the season winding down. Buzelis has already shown he can score, rebound and protect the rim, but the Bulls’ next step depends on turning those tools into something that holds up against playoff-caliber physicality.
