Amid the Chicago Bulls' 1-6 start, arguably no player has fallen under as much scrutiny as Matas Buzelis.

Expectations were high for the 22-year-old coming into Year 3. The organization had finally overhauled its front office and coaching staff, committing to a more honest rebuilding effort. With Buzelis showing such promise over his first two seasons, he was undoubtedly considered part of the new-look organization's core. And thus, many believed he stood to benefit from more opportunity come the start of the 2026-27 season.

Of course, there is still a lot of time for Buzelis to live up to the hype that both he and fans placed upon him. Seven games are a mere 8.5 percent of the NBA season. At the same time, there is no ignoring that the immediate returns have left something to be desired, especially as his new rookie teammate makes highlight play after highlight play.

Buzelis is averaging 13.0 points with 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his first seven games. The forward is shooting a mere 40.0 percent from the field and 29.0 percent from downtown, despite shooting 4.4 three-point attempts a night. His trips to the free throw line have at least trended upward (5.3 attempts per game), but the overall lack of offensive production has raised concerns.

It sure doesn't help that Buzelis has also struggled to make a particularly strong impact defensively. He isn't flying in for as many weak-side blocks as we've grown accustomed to, and his time guarding along the perimeter has been unremarkable.

Monday night's outing in Philadelphia marked Buzelis' lowest point of the season. The young forward played just 23 minutes of action, committing more turnovers (5) than points scored (4). He also matched his point tally with four personal fouls. It marked the first time this season that he didn't get to the charity stripe, and his five field goal attempts were a season-low.

Was it a tough matchup for Buzelis on paper? No question. Whether it was their blazing-fast guards or their veteran wings, Buzelis wasn't necessarily set up for success on either end of the floor. But he's also proven over the last two years that he is far too talented to have a night like that.

So ... what gives?

Matas Buzelis Addresses Slow Start

Following the Chicago Bulls' 126-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Matas Buzelis spoke about his slow start. While the youngster acknowledged the poor results, he continued to sound confident in his ability to turn things around sooner rather than later.

“If you guys can recall, every one of my beginning of my seasons, first and second, they were tough," Buzelis told Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. "It was difficult. New guys coming in. This year it’s even harder … Right now, you got to really really zone in and focus on what you can control and what you can do out there. As I keep saying, it’s a process, it's a process. I promise you I’ll figure it out.”

The start of Buzelis' rookie year was undoubtedly tough. Billy Donovan gave him minimal playing time, and he cracked double-digit points only once in his first 16 games. As for Year 2, Buzelis did average eerily similar numbers until a breakout in December. Now, he at least shot more efficiently from the field, but a look at the game log does validate what Buzelis is saying.

Indeed, as we suggested above, Buzelis deserves some grace. The season has barely gotten off the ground, and the Bulls are an entirely new team. It can take time to adjust, and there is a real world where Buzelis finds his groove in a matter of days or weeks.

Playing alongside Caleb Wilson also presents an entirely new challenge for Buzelis. Not only are there more possessions to split up, but there are certain times when Wilson will command a similar area of the floor. Then, throw in the addition of someone like Norman Powell, and there are even fewer shot attempts to go around.

Does that mean Buzelis is suddenly an odd fit for this roster? Not at all. It just means that he is playing an entirely new role and having to relearn where his offensive game fits into the picture. In many ways, this is what the 2026-27 season is all about for the Bulls in general. How can they turn their top two young players into a dynamic duo?

The answer to this question isn't going to come overnight. The only way for them to reach a solution is to keep chipping away and keep building the on-court sample size. The good news is that Buzelis sounds prepared to do just that.