Following years of draft mismanagement, the Chicago Bulls have righted the ship, selecting former G-League Ignite forward with the 11th-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old rookie was a revelation for the Bulls.

The 6-foot-10 forward appeared in 80 contests, including 31 starts in his inaugural campaign. Buzelis averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in only 18.9 minutes per game. He converted 45.4 percent of his field goals, 36.1 percent of his three-pointers, and 81.5 percent of his free throws—Buzelis finished 10th among rookie qualifiers in true shooting percentage (57.1).

Coming out of the now-defunct G-League Ignite, Buzelis was billed as a plus-athlete, dangerous in transition with point-forward potential. However, the weaknesses were all too evident. Buzelis’ poor shooting percentages were dinged, and his lack of strength and quickness were notable shortcomings.

The Chicago native proved his subpar G-League efficiency was overstated. Buzelis’s field goal, three-point, and free-throw shooting percentages dramatically increased in the professionals. His three-point percentage saw an uptick of 8.8 percentage points.

While lacking strength and quickness won’t go away anytime soon, the physical limitations didn’t stop Buzelis from becoming an adequate defender. The lanky forward’s opponents’ field goal percentage saw a 0.7 percent decrease. Furthermore, Buzelis was especially stifling in the paint. Buzelis held his opponents to a 54.0 percent conversion rate within six feet—an 8.5 percent decrease.

Improved consistency will be key for Buzelis’ sophomore season

Although Buzelis put many pre-draft concerns to rest, a big one remains troublesome. It’s his lack of consistency. Arguably, every rookie is either inefficient or struggles with consistently through their first 82-game campaign. It’s not something to get worked up about in the interim.

Nonetheless, as the Bulls begin relying more on Buzelis as a nightly contributor, he must become a more consistent threat. Buzelis’ strong April proved he’s capable of such. Then again, one impressive month after an inconsistent March and an inefficient February is telling of the strides he needs to make as a reliable rotation player.

The former 11th-overall pick averaged 13.7 points per game in March. However, he only scored upwards of 15 points in one back-to-back outing. It’s a bit nitpicky, but Billy Donovan clearly entrusted the rookie whenever he played with poise and aggression. In contests where he saw fewer than 20 minutes, he wasn’t being assertive enough.

Buzelis’ playing time waned throughout the season, and his efficiency suffered whenever he saw fewer minutes. In 29 contests where he played between 10 and 19 minutes, Buzelis shot 40.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. In 26 games he played between 20 and 29 minutes, Buzelis shot 47.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from the three. When playing upwards of 30 minutes, the rookie shot 51.5 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from downtown.

Going forward, it mustn’t take extended action for the 6-foot-10 forward to exceed his typical efficiency metrics. It’s important for Buzelis’ shooting splits to inch closer to uniform. His rookie season isn’t the best indicator. Thus, improving his consistency next season and so on will be key in obtaining an expanded role and eventually unlocking his full potential