Matas Receives Second-Team All-Rookie Honors
- David Moses II (@_iamdavidmoses)
- 54 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis has been named to the 2024-25 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team, becoming the 26th player in franchise history to earn the honor, an NBA-best. The Chicago=area native made a strong impression in his rookie campaign, averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and a team-leading 0.9 blocks in 18.9 minutes across 80 games, tying for the team-high in appearances.
Selected 11th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Buzelis made history by becoming just the fifth rookie in league history…and the first Bull to record at least 95 made three pointers and 75 blocks in a season. He joined elite company including Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Shane Battier. Among all rookies, Buzelis ranked fifth in total blocks with 75 and fourth among forwards in total points with 688, while shooting 45.4% from the field, 36.1% from three, and 81.5% from the line.
After January, Buzelis numbers saw a boost, averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks over his final 35 games. He notched four 20-point outings, highlighted by a career-high 31 points against the Lakers and a 28-9-6 performance versus Dallas, joining Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley as the only Bulls rookies to post such numbers in a game.
Buzelis is the fourth Bull in the last five seasons to earn All-Rookie honors, continuing the franchise’s tradition of impactful young talent. The All-Rookie teams were selected by a panel of 100 global media members.