The Chicago Bulls roster is well stocked with guards, wings and forwards. The center position leaves something to be desired, both in terms of talent and depth. Matas Buzelis may need to help fill that gap.
Chicago swapped guard Lonzo Ball for wing Isaac Okoro this summer. The team re-signed point guard Tre Jones, added the 5-foot-8 Yuki Kawamura on a two-way contract and drafted forwards Noa Essengue and Lachlan Olbrich.
Per Basketball Reference, the Bulls have nine guards, seven forwards and just two centers on their current roster: Zach Collins and Nikola Vucevic. (Jalen Smith isn’t listed as one, but for all intents and purposes, is a center.)
That’s three true centers head coach Billy Donovan has at his disposal, but Vucevic will turn 35 years old this summer and doesn’t fit Chicago’s up-tempo style. Collins and Smith are career backups. None of those options is inspiring.
Enter Buzelis.
Matas Buzelis will play minutes at center for the Chicago Bulls this year
Collins is the tallest listed Bulls player at 6-foot-11. Removing sure-fire center options Vucevic and Smith from the equation leaves Buzelis and Olbrich as forwards 6-foot-10 and above.
As a late second-round pick who didn’t look very competitive in summer league, Olbrich likely won’t see the floor at all this year. Essengue is also 6-10, but as a raw 18-year-old who’s maybe 210 pounds soaking wet, is in no way prepared to play center at the NBA level.
Then there’s the matter of rotation spots. If Donovan sticks with the same starting lineup he ended last year with, that group would be:
- PG: Josh Giddey
- SG: Coby White
- SF: Kevin Huerter
- PF: Matas Buzelis
- C: Nikola Vucevic
If the rotation goes nine deep, the best four players off the bench would be:
- PG: Tre Jones
- SG: Ayo Dosunmu
- SF: Isaac Okoro
- PF: Patrick Williams
Donovan would have to play 10 guys to get another true big man on the floor, likely Collins. Could he replace one of the four listed above with a center to add more size? Sure. But removing Okoro or Williams in favor of Collins or Smith would mean a significant downgrade in talent. That doesn’t make much sense. And this is assuming Vucevic plays heavy minutes, which doesn’t make a ton of sense either.
If the newly extended Donovan wants to keep his best players on the court as much as possible, it will mean Buzelis has to play as a small-ball five.
Playing Buzelis at center has considerable pros and cons
The 20-year-old has reportedly bulked up this offseason. He did lead Chicago in blocks last year and is mobile enough to fly around the floor, but is he strong enough to hold his own near the rim? He averaged just 3.5 rebounds last season, which presents another major issue. Giddey is excellent on the boards for a point guard, but he can’t make up for a big man who brings down fewer than five a night.
Offensively, though, a five-man lineup featuring Buzelis at center would unlock a myriad of fun options. The Bulls could have shooters at every position. Donovan already wants to run, run, and run some more; having a center who can handle the ball and lead a fastbreak is a tantalizing thought.
Buzelis would be the quickest, fastest and most explosive big man on the floor. He would be a nightmare to defend. Whatever Chicago loses on defense, it would gain — and then some — on the other end.
The question is whether or not the sophomore is strong enough to hold up on the interior and the glass. It’s only a matter of time until we learn the answer, because there may not be any other options.
