By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Talented Lithuanian forward Matas Buzelis arrived in the NBA last summer as the 11th overall draft pick, selected by the Chicago Bulls.
He’s been steadily growing in the NBA and showed flashes of his potential in a recent win over the Utah Jazz, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds as a starter against Lauri Markkanen and the Salt Lake City team.
The Finnish star spoke to The Athletic after the game and praised fellow European player.
“As a rookie, you’ve always got some work to do. But I think he’s got the skill, the toughness, and obviously the athleticism, as we’ve seen. I think he has a huge upside. And what I’ve heard from talking to his teammates, Nikola Vučević and those guys, is that he’s a hard worker and a great kid. I think he’s going to be good,” Markkanen said of the 20-year-old Lithuanian NBA rookie.
Buzelis is averaging 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game this season. However, his production improves to 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2 assists per game when he starts.