Creating a Buzz

By Jeff Vorva | Photos courtesy of the Chicago Bulls

His two grandpas played high-level basketball in Lithuania. His father and mother were both successful basketball players in that country as well.

Now, Hinsdale native Matas Buzelis can do something even they couldn’t do – play in the NBA.

The 6-foot-10 Buzelis was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round on June 26 and was the 11th  pick overall. While there were some analysts who thought he would go higher in the draft, he was happy to know that if he had to fall a few spots, he would be taken by the team he cheered for growing up.

“It means the world being born and raised here,” the 19-year-old Buzelis said in a press conference minutes after the draft. “It just makes it so much better. It means everything to me. I can’t even explain it.”

Although Buzelis only spent a year at Hinsdale Central High School and played on the sophomore team as a freshman, the then 6′-3″ player had his eyes on the NBA, even though few others saw that in his future.

“My freshman year…it was a pretty good season, and I was playing on the sophomores because they didn’t allow freshmen to play varsity,” he said at a Bulls press conference. “People thought I was crazy. But if you believe, nothing else matters.”

There were some twists and turns on his journey.

COVID-19 hit and the Illinois High School Association postponed the boys basketball season his sophomore year and he hit the road with stops at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and Sunrise Christian in Kansas.

Colleges were salivating after him after a growth spurt and a high school career that included a remarkable all-around game for a player that tall. He could dominate inside, hit 3-pointers, and play strong defense.

But instead of college, Buzelis chose to play for the NBA G League Ignite and averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. The Ignite was comprised of young players, and the team took its lumps against older players with NBA experience. The team finished 2-32 last season.

Despite losing, Buzelis felt the experience was better for him than playing in college.

“I was able to go against the best players in the world,” he said. “I was trained by the best coaches in the world and having some vets who were on NBA rosters who know what it’s like to go on the route that we were on. I think I gained an advantage being there.”

The Bulls were not planning on Buzelis being on the board by the 11th  pick and were happy to get him. Arturas Karnisovas, a Lithuanian who is the executive vice president of basketball operations, praised Buzelis for his all-around game at the Bulls press conference.

“It’s an exciting day…another Chicago kid,” Karnisovas said. “We’re very excited to have him and add him to our young group. He’s a very versatile wing swing. We watched him all year.

“Our league is leaning toward multi-positional wings. Size. Athleticism. He can put it on the floor and then switch ability. He averaged more than two blocks per game.”

The Bulls boss also thought  Buzelis made a smart choice playing in the G League.

“He played against men and got beat up, and a lot of those guys came from winning programs,” Karnisovas said. “I think the physicality is as close as you can get to an NBA game. That’s what they experience in the G League, so I hope that translates into the NBA faster.”

Buzelis’s experience in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas was successful, as he averaged 16.4 points per game and was a dunking machine.

Buzelis admits he has a lot to learn, but even before the draft, he showed confidence in his game during an interview with  ringer.com.

“I really believe I can do everything on the court,” he said. “I really mean that when I say it. I bring defense. I can protect the rim. I can score on offense. I can post up. I can shoot 3s. I can pretty much do everything.’’

Matas Buzelis grew up a Bulls fan and now he is a member of the team after being drafted in June.