Buzelis: Last Year Was 'Extremely Hard' as Bulls Finally Find Structure
Matas Buzelis did not sugarcoat his second season. After Tuesday's practice at the Advocate Center, the 21-year-old called last year "extremely hard" and said there was "no type of rhythm."
"We didn't know who was playing. We didn't know how we were going to play," Buzelis admitted.
The contrast with the present is stark. Buzelis noted that now "there is going to be more structure" and "everyone is in a role." The uncertainty that defined last season has been replaced by a clear sense of what each night will bring.
"You know what you're going to get every night," he said.
Buzelis did not frame the struggle as wasted time. He said the experience "builds you as a person" and that going through difficulty is part of the process.
"You got to go through stuff with your life to notice that you want better," he explained.
The forward's comments came as the Bulls settle into a new direction under an organizational overhaul, with the team's young core taking center stage. For Buzelis, the shift from chaos to clarity is the difference between surviving a season and building one.
THE CHAOS OF YEAR 2
Buzelis is entering his third full NBA season at age 21, but the road to this point was anything but smooth. He described the 2025-26 campaign as a mental challenge, rooted in a simple lack of direction.
"There was no type of rhythm. We didn't know who was playing. We didn't know how we were going to play," Buzelis admitted.
The trade deadline reportedly caused a "massive shift" for the organization, according to www.si.com. Buzelis appeared to be speaking mainly about the Bulls' second-half stint after that deadline, when the roster's identity was in flux.
The exact details of those trade deadline moves are not in the source; only that a "massive shift" occurred. What is clear is that the uncertainty wore on him.
"It was hard for me. Last year was hard," Buzelis said. "Last year was extremely hard."
The lack of a consistent rotation left players guessing night to night. Roles were unclear, and the rhythm of a competitive season never materialized. For a young forward with a blunt desire to win, that fog proved heavier than any single loss.
LEARNING PATIENCE
Out of that chaos, Buzelis has settled on a single mantra. "Practicing patience," he said. "Everything can't come to you at once."
It is a lesson he has repeated throughout training camp, per the source, even as his competitive instincts push against it. The 21-year-old does not hide from how difficult the adjustment has been.
"It was hard for me," Buzelis admitted.
To manage that frustration, he has leaned on his inner circle. "I speak to a lot of people, a lot of smart [and] intelligent people," he said, "and they tell me everything comes with time."
That counsel has become something of a coping mechanism. For a player blunt about his desire to win, sitting still is not natural. But the structure the Bulls have finally installed gives his patience a foundation to stand on. The fog of last season has lifted, replaced by defined roles and a consistent plan.
The hope now is that the waiting pays off in something lasting.
A NEW STRUCTURE
The Bulls underwent a "massive organizational overhaul" this offseason, shifting toward a more traditional rebuild led by several promising young players, per www.si.com.
The specifics of that roster reconstruction are not detailed in the source. No individual player moves or front-office names are confirmed. What is clear is the direction of travel: away from the muddled middle and toward a youth-led foundation.
Even with "somewhat low expectations" for the win-loss column, the sense of purpose inside the Advocate Center is tangible. As the source notes, the simple fact that everyone is "rowing in the same direction" generates a sense of hope.
That hope is rooted in predictability. Where last season offered nightly uncertainty, Buzelis now knows exactly what the plan entails. "Now, there is going to be more structure," he said. "Everyone is in a role. And you know what you're going to get every night."
For a player who spent Year 2 guessing at rotations and game plans, that clarity is the difference. Patience is easier to practice when the path forward is visible. The Bulls are no longer improvising; they are building.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Training camp has gone well, with the positive vibes inside the Advocate Center reflecting a genuine shift in tone. Buzelis is as motivated as anyone on the roster and sounds committed to helping build a "sustainable winner," per the source.
That motivation will be tested once games begin. Under the new structure, Buzelis's role is clearly defined — and for the first time in his young career, he knows what to expect each night.
"I speak to a lot of people, a lot of smart [and] intelligent people, and they tell me everything comes with time," Buzelis said. He has continued to preach that mentality throughout camp, and the Bulls are banking on it paying off.
The regular season is approaching, though no specific game dates, schedule, or opponent are mentioned in the source. What is clear is that Chicago enters this campaign with a defined plan and a roster of young players rowing in the same direction.
For Buzelis, the patience he is practicing now is the foundation for what comes next. The chaos of last year is behind him; the structure ahead is what he has been waiting for.
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