Bulls' Matas Buzelis wants to make two-way impact
Matas Buzelis
K.C. Johnson
First-round pick focused on making defensive impact
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It's unfortunate that Chicago Bulls first-round pick Matas Buzelis won't get to be teammates with DeMar DeRozan next season.

Like the former Bull who was recently signed-and-traded to the Sacramento Kings, Buzelis is a self-dubbed "basketball head" who spends hours watching film, games and YouTube highlights of players present and past.

Just as DeRozan would occasionally drop an obscure name as someone he admired or somebody he stole a move from, Buzelis is doing the same. On the NBA Draft night in which the Bulls made him the 11th overall pick, he name-dropped J.R. Smith.

On a recent appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast, Buzelis dropped a few more surprises. He cited former Memphis Grizzlies standout O.J. Mayo, who, like DeRozan, attended USC.

"I just watch people who get buckets," Buzelis said on the podcast.

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But Buzelis, who, at just 19, flashes an awareness beyond his years, doesn't limit himself to the offensive end. He cited former Utah Jazz Andrei Kirilenko for his shotblocking ability and defensive prowess.

It's clear that becoming a two-way player is important for Buzelis.

"My rookie year, I’m not going to have any plays ran for me," he said on the podcast. "So I have to go play defense and be an energy guy and make open shots."

In 26 games for the G League Ignite, Buzelis averaged an impressive 2.1 blocks in 32 minutes.

"I already had instincts on defense. It was mainly watching film for me and seeing what position I have to be in and how far I have to be from the paint to go block a shot and how different guys finish in the paint," he said. "I already had the instincts, length and athleticism."

Check out the entire interview with Buzelis at the link below.