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Since Bulls keep losing, why is Buzelis sitting?

At what point will this Bulls season become more about player development than trying to make a third-straight trip to the play-in tournament?

Most fans have surely noticed rookie Matas Buzelis has played well at times. Not every night, but his highest minutes total this month is just 17.

With Saturday's 109-97 loss to Philadelphia at the United Center, the Bulls have now dropped seven of their last eight games and fell to 19-27 on the season. They're obviously not winning often with the current rotation.

Joel Embiid (knee) and Coby White (ankle) did not play. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 25 points, while Tyrese Maxey scored 31 for the 76ers.

The Bulls' most direct path to becoming a better team would be Buzelis blossoming into a star, since that version doesn't involve extreme lottery luck. He also has the athleticism at 6-feet-9 to be a good defender, though he'll obviously get overpowered at times until he adds some strength. Second-year forward Julian Phillips probably also fits into the category of guys who could be playing more.

Coach Billy Donovan has talked for the past few weeks about not gifting minutes to young players. It's important they learn and grow through mistakes.

“Right now, he's not equipped to handle 30 minutes a game,” Donovan said of Buzelis. “I don't think that's the best thing for him, and I don't think it's the best thing for our team. … I do think he's grown a great deal since the beginning of the year.”

Everything Donovan says makes sense, but an argument can be made that Buzelis already gives the Bulls a better chance to win. He was a plus-5 in Saturday's game during 12 minutes on the court, finishing with 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

Buzelis led the team in net rating during the month of December. He hasn't been as good in January, ranking seventh among the regulars.

Net rating is how many points a team outscores the opponent per 100 possessions while that player is on the floor. It can be misleading and favor players on the second unit who don't face the other team's best. But it works as a general guide to who is making a positive impact on the court.

“(Buzelis) got into a situation in the Golden State game, where they targeted him right away, right when he got in the game,” Donovan said. “(Andrew) Wiggins went right at him. And that's a great learning experience for him.”

Wiggins and Buzelis were in the game at the same time for just 35 seconds of the first quarter. The Warriors ran Buzelis through two screens and Wiggins got loose for a driving lay-in. On the next trip, Wiggins posted up against Buzelis, hit a hook shot and finished a 3-point play. Buzelis checked out at that point.

Donovan said he spoke to the rookie on his way off the court after the Wiggins possessions.

“I basically told him coming off the floor, 'They are going directly at you. You're going to have to make a stance here,'” Donovan said. “I think that's a great growth thing, instead of saying, 'Hey Matas, don't worry about it, just keep playing, man.'

“Those are things there that a lot of people may not see as being valuable. They're incredibly valuable because it creates clarity for him of what he needs to do.”

The West suburban native is 19 and could be a sophomore in college right now if he chose that path.

The Bulls' leaders in net rating have varied month to month, while Dalen Terry and Patrick Williams have been consistently near the bottom. Williams made just 1 of 9 shots in Saturday's game, finishing with 2 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes. After the game, he addressed his personal slump.

“I know what I can do, I know what I've done in this league,” Williams said. “I think you guys know, I think my teammates know and the coaches know. That's why they're on me, that's why I'm on myself. Nobody wants it more than me, I guarantee you that.

“If I had the answers, it would be fixed already. All I know is work. That's what got me here. I've had lows and I've had highs before and always worked through them.”

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