The Chicago Bulls Have Two Seriously Fascinating Young Forwards ...Middle East

Chicago Bulls fans can hold on to some hope.

While the team faces a long road back to relevancy, they may have found two players who are prepared to go on that journey. Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue have been among the biggest bright spots for the Bulls so far in the preseason. Expectations skyrocketed for the former after a strong Year 1 that saw him snatch the starting power forward spot from Patrick Williams. Patience has been the keyword for the latter youngster, who does not turn 19 years old until December. Still, he’s looked far from the raw and unpolished project piece many assumed the Bulls swung big on at No. 12 in the 2025 NBA Draft.

There were immediate questions about how Essengue and Buzelis would co-exist. And, to be clear, those questions haven’t gone anywhere. But it should rarely be viewed as a bad thing to roster two uber-athletic six-foot-ten forwards with plenty of room to grow.

Indeed, it’s hard for me to look at these first three preseason games and feel anything other than encouraged by the Bulls’ last two lottery picks. Buzelis has instantly met expectations with his more aggressive on-and-off-ball mindset offensively, while Essengue has instantly exceeded expectations with his shockingly comfortable and disruptive play style. Again, none of this means the Bulls are firmly set with their next two stars. The preseason and regular season are two completely different animals. But there is something to be said about young, high-upside picks instantly passing the eye test.

Buzelis is obviously the most fascinating of the two for now. Not only is he a six-foot-ten energizer bunny with a thunderous vertical, but he can put the ball on the ground and slyly attack the basket. His performance against the Milwaukee Bucks this past weekend featured a little bit of everything. He caught the Bucks sleeping in transition, drove past Myles Turner with the hesi before getting the and-one call, came flying around an off-ball screen for the easy score, and drained a pair of catch-and-shoot triples.

Buzelis recorded 19 points for the second time this preseason in fewer than 25 minutes of action.

It’s just not normal for a six-foot-ten dude to be able to do all of this — let alone at 21 years old.Matas Buzelis’ versatility has jumped off the screen more and more in this preseason. The Bulls have a real building block here. pic.twitter.com/Aqzhe6bGyZ

Now, Essengue obviously hasn’t put on the same kind of show during his first taste of NBA action, but the forward has still fared better than most expected. The Frenchman found a way to make an immediate impact in his debut performance against the Cavs last week.

Within seconds of first stepping on the floor at the end of the third quarter, Essengue was coming around an off-ball screen and finishing over Larry Nance Jr. at the rim. He proceeded to get to the line two more times and haul in 3 offensive rebounds, as the Cavaliers really struggled to combat his sheer length.

Noa Essengue had a pretty solid debut for the Bulls last night.Played fewer than 14 MINs but made his presence felt. You can tell his mobility will catch opposing frontcourts off guard. Did a nice job attacking the rim and drawing contact, too.8 PTS, 5 REB (3 OREB), +12 pic.twitter.com/9NUt3ZDBNM

Jump ahead to his battle with the Bucks, and Billy Donovan called Essengue’s name early in the second quarter. Less than a minute later, Essengue came up with a steal and looked to go coast-to-coast. While he failed to convert at the rim, he got the whistle on the much smaller Cole Anthony. Essengue would go on to record two more steals, tipping Amir Coffey’s entry pass along the perimeter before matching up with the forward one-on-one and forcing him to lose the ball.

Essengue scored off the first Coffey steal after hustling in transition and perfectly positioning himself for another and-one under the basket. Then, he drew a foul off the second Coffey steal after Ayo Dosunmu kicked the ball back out to him and he made a break for the basket.

Check it out:

Noa Essengue’s length and open floor speed is immediately a big advantage.He has the potential to be incredibly disruptive on D. You also have to respect his feel for drawing contact.Has gotten to the line twice in each preseason game. And he’s averaging only 14mins played! pic.twitter.com/pAQ4KB54jP

I’m not trying to suggest that Buzelis and Essengue are two franchise cornerstones that will bring the Bulls back to the promised land. It would be reckless to make that assumption this early in their careers – let alone after three preseason games. But let’s not kid ourselves: Buzelis and Essengue are not normal.

How many guys of their size and length can move the way they do? How many are threats both in the open floor and with the ball in their hands? The answer is very few! And those players who do possess those things are among the best and brightest in the league. While I know I could be setting myself (and you) up for disappointment, I really am optimistic about what both of these players could do in a Bulls uniform. Patience is still key, but the payoff could be pretty darn good!

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