(670 The Score) Chicago Sports Network analyst Kendall Gill believes the Bulls have already landed their foundational star of the future.
He’s that high on 6-foot-9 rookie forward Matas Buzelis.
“Guess what guys? You already got Cooper Flagg,” Gill said on the Bernstein & Harris Show on Tuesday afternoon.
That left Dan Bernstein and Marshall Harris astonished, but Gill persisted and explained why.
“I watched Matas take Cooper Flagg apart when they played one-on-one,” Gill said. “I saw it with my own eyes. Believe me when I tell you.
“(Matas) is bigger, he can handle the basketball better. In my opinion, he’s more athletic. They both have the same mentality, but I like Matas’ upside simply because I like his athleticism more and I like his mentality more than Cooper Flagg. He can also shoot the basketball better than Cooper Flagg.
“Three years from now, you’re going to be saying Kendall was right.”
The 20-year-old Buzelis was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s averaging 6.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.5 minutes across 51 games as a rookie. He just recently became a starter for the Bulls. He’s shooting 43.5% overall and 36.3% on 3-pointers.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg, who’s just 18 years old, 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 32.1 minutes across 23 games as a freshman at Duke this season. He’s shooting 47.9% overall and 36.4% on 3-pointers. He’s widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.