Wally Skalij/AP
Matas Buzelis hasn’t crossed the tough love finish line.
The Bulls rookie played well on the six-game road trip, and even starred in a Hollywood production with a career-high 31-point performance against the Lakers in La-La Land last Saturday, but getting off the Billy Donovan leash and having free rein to work through mistakes and inexperience?
Not yet, kid, evident by the fact that he didn’t even sniff the floor in the fourth quarter a game later in Denver.
And here’s the thing about Buzelis: He continues to praise his coach for the way he’s being developed this season, insisting he fully understands that his minutes have to be earned.