Is Matas Buzelis playing tonight? Latest on Bulls' No. 11 pick's availability ahead of Summer League skirmish vs Lakers
The Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is available to play against the LA Lakers on July 20. He is set to go against Dalton Knecht, who was selected 17th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The team hasn’t listed Buzelis on their injury report for the game against the Lakers. He has played all four games for the team so far and is expected to suit up against the Western Conference contender.
Both the Bulls and the Lakers hold a similar record in this Summer League, each winning two of their four games so far. The Bulls rank 15th in four games, while the Lakers are ranked 21st.
The game between the Lakers and the Bulls will be played at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The tip-off is scheduled at 7:00 PM ET on July 20.
How has Matas Buzelis performed in this Summer League?
Hailing from Chicago, Matas Buzelis has fared well in the Las Vegas Summer League. He has shown great promise so far as an asset on both ends of the floor.
Standing at 6-foot-9, the Chicago Bulls rookie is averaging 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. However, he has also shown his struggles on the floor, shooting under 35% from the field and under 30% from the three-point line.
In the Bulls' last game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Buzelis scored 11 points on 4 of 17 from the field and 1 of 6 from the three-point line. He scored 18 points against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and went 7-of-18 shots from the field and 1 of 6 shots from the three-point line.
Matas Buzelis scored 15 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 13, firing 4 of 15 from the field and missed all four shots from the three-point range. On July 15, Matas Buzelis scored 28 points on shooting 10 of 22 shots from the field and 4 of 8 from beyond the arc in the game against the Warriors.
The Chicago Bulls will be without DeMar DeRozan, who was traded to the Sacramento Kings this offseason. However, the addition of Buzelis should give them hope for the future. The Bulls can pair the rookie with other young stars like Josh Giddey, who joined the team after being traded from the OKC Thunder.