Is Billy Donovan actually an elite tanker?
Catching up with some long-time friends on Saturday night, good-guy co-worker Matt took the game off my hands. With that being the case, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I glanced down at the gamecast to see the Bulls up 24 points and seemingly in complete control. Were the Warriors really going to start the Jimmy Butler era with an embarrassing blowout loss?
Whether it was Arturas Karnisovas giving Donovan the nod or Stephen Curry realizing who he was going up against, the second half was a “tankers” dream. Curry scored 24 of his 34 points in the third quarter behind a 7-11 shooting display. Jimmy Butler took over from there, closing things out with 10 points in the fourth quarter. The Bulls – who were mixing and matching lineups – lost the second half 77-42 and shot a mere 32.4 percent. Yuck!
The game showed us some great moments from the team’s young talent while reassuring us that moving down the draft board isn’t a major concern moving forward. I guess I’ll take it!
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Speaking of which, I think this may have been the best game I’ve seen from Matas Buzelis. The rookie continues to look better and better as his workload increases, flashing some intoxicating offensive versatility. One thing that has started to stand out over the last handful of games is how calculated he can be off the ball. We have watched him score several buckets by slipping into open spaces in the paint or by putting himself in the right place at the right time behind the arc. As simple as that sounds, recognizing those opportunities this early on speaks to his feel for the game. I mean … there are players on this Bulls team who are multiple seasons into their NBA careers and struggle to put themselves in these same positions. The on-ball scoring opportunities are also starting to increase for Buzelis. While his six-foot-ten frame and athletic twitch make him an obvious screen-setter, Donovan recently said that he wants to give Buzelis more opportunities to create off the pick-and-roll. We saw this happen in last night’s second quarter, where Buzelis used a Jalen Smith screen to go right at big man Quenton Post and finish over the top. Look, he’ll need to come around the screen sharper and get downhill a little faster, but this is still incredibly encouraging stuff. Not many guys his size can do this, folks!Maybe the best creation rep of the season for Matas Buzelis last night pic.twitter.com/VbwojrHWmV
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) February 9, 2025 Fearlessness may be an intangible quality, but it was also on full display against Golden State. The rookie started his night by first drilling a stepback three OVER Jimmy Butler.Matas over Jimmy makes me so happy (? @CHGO_Bulls) pic.twitter.com/0Jkii13APd
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 9, 2025 Later we saw him get under Draymond Green’s skin, showing zero hesitation to play physical with the veteran champion. Green tried to puff out his chest and rock Buzelis around, so the rookie did a little acting and drew the offensive foul. Smart stuff from a 20-year-old against one of the best defenders in NBA history.Matas Buzelis draws a foul on Draymond Green ? pic.twitter.com/6wOe6kRo5K
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 9, 2025 Buzelis wasn’t done with Green. Hustling in transition to the corner and retrieving the Coby White feed, he went up for the shot fake that forced Green in the air. He immediately put the ball on the ground and dribbled baseline, where he made an easy adjustment to finish a one-handed jam past Buddy Hield. I haven’t felt this optimistic about a young Bulls player in quite some time!MATAS DROPPED A HAMMER ? pic.twitter.com/fgm0wj5iTs
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 9, 2025 Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter had their first tastes of Bulls action on Saturday night. The two each clocked around 18 minutes off the bench and mostly looked like two players in a very new environment. Huerter went 1-7 from the field for only 4 points, while Jones failed to score a bucket but dished a few assists. The absence of Lonzo Ball made finding time for these two a lot easier, so it will be interesting to see who could be the odd man out later this week when Ball suits up. As for Collins, finding him time with Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith in the rotation is going to be nearly impossible. Is that bad?Warriors are on a 56-13 run
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 9, 2025 Coby White looks ready to cook. The guard was in complete control early on Saturday night, finishing with 27 points on 6-9 shooting from downtown and a 7-7 showing from the free throw line. The door has swung wide open for White to step into the Bulls’ primary scoring role alongside Nikola Vucevic, and he sure looks like he’s enjoying the extra freedom. I’ve particularly loved seeing him prioritize the charity stripe. He is now averaging 6.5 free throws per game over the last four contests. With his improved ball-handling, quick first step, and strong upper body, White has the ability to draw a lot of contact. Let’s see if he can keep it up. With Myles Garrett on the trade block, Luis took a look at what a possible deal could look like for the Chicago Bears. Are you in? After receiving his fair share of criticism over the last couple of weeks, Connor Bedard is looking more consistent. If you haven’t tried out our Bleacher Nation Fantasy app yet, tonight is the perfect opportunity! We are running several fun promos, including a Hurts-Mahomes rushing yards contest that can earn you $10 in bonus coins. Our $250 Sweat Free promo is still up and running for new users, too. You can play along with us here.ELSEWHERE AT BN: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
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