By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After making the All-Rookie Second Team, Matas Buzelis set his sights on another individual distinction, the Most Improved Player award, heading to his second NBA season with the Chicago Bulls.
“My mentality is always to be the best, help the team win. I always think about it like this, ‘If somebody’s done it, I can do it too. And if nobody’s done it, I am going to be the first one’,” the 20-year-old Lithuanian combo forward mentioned during the preseason media day on Monday.
Buzelis confidently displayed his trust in the current roster, sharing his excitement to start the 2025-26 journey.
“The benchmark for success as a team is to win a championship. That’s the benchmark for me, at least. I want to win Most Improved Player this year. That’s what I am striving for,” he described team and individual success, “This is a team sport. The individual stuff will come once you win, so I’m worried about winning.”
Coming out of one season with the NBA G League Ignite, Buzelis was selected by the Bulls with the 11th overall pick of the 2024 draft. Over 80 appearances in his first NBA season, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.4 steals per contest.
“I’ve been telling the coaching staff I want to be coached as an All-Defensive guy,” he talked about his approach to his sophomore campaign, “I want to be held accountable. It doesn’t matter if it’s being yelled at in front of everyone, in solitude, or in the video room. It doesn’t matter to me.”