It was Bulls center Nikola Vucevic’s turn to dunk on Matas Buzelis, and a basketball game wasn’t even required.
In his typical deadpan style, Vucevic couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Vucevic was asked about Buzelis’ two highlight-reel dunks in the fourth quarter Wednesday in the Bulls’ victory over the Pistons, including the poster Buzelis put on Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, and sarcastically responded, “I’m very proud of Matas. He became a man. He got his first legit poster [dunk]. He tried to claim he dunked on D’Angelo Russell last year, but I’m like, ‘Come on, Matas, you’re, like, two feet bigger than him.’ This is the first one, and he’s finally a sophomore, no more rookie.”
And the Bulls couldn’t be more excited about it.
Listed at 6-8, Buzelis has that athletic ability that makes him feel more like a 7-footer, especially at the rim. Stewart, who was having a block party all night against the Bulls, found that out with 9:26 left. Buzelis cut when he saw Isaac Okoro dribble out of the corner, caught the pass and went right at Stewart without fear.
“I’m not really worried about who’s there,” Buzelis said. “I’m athletic enough to finish over anybody, so I don’t really care who’s there.”
The Bulls have needed that type of attitude and swagger for years, and the players and fans appreciate it.
That was evident a few minutes later when Buzelis had another key dunk in a close game on a pass from Tre Jones on a back cut.
“Those are big plays, dunks, blocks, anything like that,” Vucevic said. “They bring energy into the crowd, bring energy to the team.
“He has great physical attributes, and I think he enjoys taking on that challenge.”
It’s the ongoing evolution of Buzelis.
“I just read the game honestly,” said Buzelis, who had 21 points. “I never really was a cutter, but it opens up the floor, it creates movement, so I started to do it.”
He has started to do a lot of things since becoming a starter midway through last season. Billy Donovan, who has coached him hard, believes there’s a lot more for Buzelis to give. Dunks are nice, but they’re still only two points, even on a force like Stewart.
“Matas is fearless in a lot of ways,” Donovan said. “He just is. He’s not afraid. He’s competitive, he’s driven, and I think that’s why he’s got a great opportunity to realize his potential and ability.
“He said to me, ‘I never heard you yell at me so loud.’ There were two or three possessions where he was standing there spectating, and I was telling him that he’s got to get to the glass.
‘‘I think there’s so much to him that he can do. I am not taking away [from those plays]. Those were spectacular athletic plays — God gifted him with that, and he’s fearless — but the other things I try to look at are: How else can he impact the game when the dunks get taken away? He’s got to keep growing out, growing out.”
There’s no question that Buzelis will continue to develop at a high rate. Yes, Vucevic took a jab at the youngster, but he also knows what Buzelis is and what he can become.
“What I like about him is he has a cockiness about him, but not in a bad way,” Vucevic said. “He just has belief, which all the great ones do. He has all the potential in the world to be a great player, and I mentioned last year that the Bulls got a great one. It’s up to him now.”
One day after Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cavaliers player/assistant coach Damon Jones were arrested as part of an investigation related to illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed rigged poker games, the Bulls — and the rest of the league — were left trying to explain it.
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Less than 24 hours after watching a glorious night of NBA action on the second day of the regular season, the league office had to deal with a nightmare surrounding the allegations hitting Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cavaliers player/assistant coach Damon Jones.
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Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games that were backed by organized-crime families. Heat guard Terry Rozier is accused in a separate scheme to concoct fraudulent prop bets by exploiting insider information.
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