Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan wasn’t ready to completely celebrate Matas Buzelis’ career achievement on Friday night. The rookie earned his first double-double in the Bulls’ 118-113 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in front of 21,572 fans at the United Center.
Buzelis recorded 10 rebounds and 12 points, including a key three-point shot with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter that put Chicago ahead 111-106. Buzelis also had a nice defensive moment late in the game when he blocked Jabari Walker’s three-point attempt with 26 seconds left.
Chicago Bulls’ Billy Donovan wants better defense
However, following the game, Donovan called out Buzelis for his defense. Per Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun-Times, Donovan said the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft needed to show progress on positioning, become a strong player, and learn team personnel.
“He’s got to be able to navigate through screens better,” Donovan said. “The one thing about him, when he is on the ball and guys do drive on him, he’s gotten much better at using his length and not fouling — really rim-protecting, blocking shots.”
Donovan is prepping Matas Buzelis for the postseason
The Bulls rank 24th in defensive rating in the NBA at 115.4, Buzelis had a season average of 112.2.
Donovan is trying to develop Buzelis and prepare him and the Bulls for a postseason run.
Chicago has five more games remaining in the regular season. Then, they will participate in the Play-In Tournament.
Following their win Friday night, the Bulls are tied with the Miami Heat with a 35-42 record. The Atlanta Hawks have a 1.5 game lead on the Bulls and Heat for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago will next play the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at noon CST.
