Entering last night’s affair, Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis had yet to record a three-pointer. In addition to Buzelis’ lack of success from beyond the arc, the former G-League Ignite star had only connected on 2-of-12 field goals. Buzelis’ start to the season had been discouraging, to say the least.

However, with an injury to Zach LaVine, the rookie forward saw an uptick in playing time against the Dallas Mavericks. While Ayo Dosunmu was called upon to start in place of the injured LaVine, Buzelis, alongside Dalen Terry, were the first Bulls off the bench.

The 11th overall pick scored his first bucket of the game just two minutes after entering. Buzelis spotted up in the left corner, awaiting a Josh Giddey pass following Giddey’s drive to the paint. The 6-foot-10 wing pump-faked then drove baseline around his defender before euro-stepping the primary help defender and cashing in on a four-foot floater.

MATAS BUZELIS!

The pump fake, the baseline drive, the euro. 🤩

PLAY THE KID. pic.twitter.com/WLAoQRJ9kA

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) November 7, 2024

It didn’t take long for Buzelis to find the bottom of the net again. Matas knocked down a three-pointer from the left corner, where he initiated his first basket of the day. The 20-year-old scored as many points in five minutes of gameplay as he did in his previous six appearances.

Billy Donovan opted not to use the rookie in the second quarter, inserting Buzelis halfway into the third instead. Matas drew a foul and cashed in on his trip to the line, making both of his freebies. A little over a minute later, Buzelis drilled another spot-up triple, this time, off a pinpoint pass from Nikola Vucevic.

The rookie wasn’t done following his second three-pointer of the game. Buzelis knocked down his third three of the night with 17 seconds to go in the third quarter. The 11th pick finished the game with 13 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and a block. While the scoring and rebounding were nice to see, perhaps the biggest development was Buzelis’ marksmanship.

Upon declaring for the NBA Draft, many scouts and draft pundits questioned Matas’ outside shot, and rightfully so. Buzelis shot 26.1 percent in his lone G-League season. The Chicago forward connected on only 30 of 115 attempts from deep.

The most important part of Buzelis’ development was ultimately his perimeter shotmaking. From the ever-important spot-up three to off-the-dribble looks, allowing Buzelis to grow as a shooter is the key to unlocking his limitless potential. If Buzelis’s performance against Dallas provided any indication, the rookie’s spot-up marksmanship is further ahead than expected.

Buzelis appeared confident and shot the ball without any hesitation against the Mavericks. While the sample size is small, it’s promising to see Buzelis knock down three-pointers from multiple locations. Additionally, the 75 percent clip is sure to increase the rookie’s confidence moving forward.

Donovan has yet to instill trust in the rookie. Nonetheless, Buzelis’ activity, in addition to his shotmaking, makes it hard for coaches to keep him off the court. The Bulls need scorers, especially from the reserve unit, and in extended action, Buzelis demonstrated the ability to elevate a so-so bench mob with his scoring. Aside from his individual contributions, Buzelis also recorded a plus/minus of minus-2—13 points better than that of any starter.