Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is in his fourth season. But he is still dealing with some of the same issues that have plagued him his entire career, namely indecisiveness.
Head Coach Billy Donovan noticed it early in the Bulls’ eventual 125-96 win over the injury-depleted Memphis Grizzlies on January 20. He pulled Williams fewer than five minutes into the game.
Williams says he knew he wasn’t being as aggressive as he could be.
“I think, definitely, I felt it. So he didn’t need to tell me that. I already knew what it was, Williams told the media in the locker room. “A lot of my teammates were already on me about just shooting the ball … Having those dialogues, whether it’s him taking me out or guys getting on me, that’s what development and learning is all about. It’s not always going to be pretty.”
Donovan was blunt in his explanation for why he pulled Williams, not once but twice. He sat the 22-year-old forward to start the third quarter too.
“There’s opportunities that guys have to take advantage of closeouts and rotations. And I thought there was a couple possessions there where he really had an opportunity to shoot it, drive it, make a play,” Donovan told reporters of Williams’ first stint after the game.
“We talk about being aggressive, it’s in those moments.
“I thought there a couple possessions there that he was a little bit passive on. Talked to him about it and then I thought he was a little better as the game went on.”
Williams, 22, still finished with 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.
He also went 3-for-7 from beyond the arc in his second game back from a two-game absence due to a foot injury. The former No. 4 overall pick has had double-digit points in each of his games back. This is after failing to do so in his five previous appearances.
Donovan attributed the quick hook for Williams to start the third quarter to a team-wide letdown in the first few minutes.
“I’m not I’m not concerned about it,” Donovan said
“It’s not like he doesn’t want to do it. I just think he’s got to be really more decisive when the ball comes.”
Williams’ ability to impact the game defensively has often afforded him opportunities.
He has been trying to find his way mentally since he entered the league, though even after back-to-back offseasons training with veteran DeMar DeRozan. He was candid about those shortcomings after last season.
Patrick Williams ‘Wanted to be More Consistent’
“I wanted to be more consistent,” he said via The Athletic’s Darnell Maberry in April 2023. “The opportunity was there. I don’t think I grasped it.”
But Williams spoke confidently after hitting a groove earlier in the season.
From November 22 through the end of the calendar year, Williams averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 49.3% from beyond the arc.
“Not really thinking about anything, really,” Williams said of the uptick in production, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley on December 8. “Just going out and playing hard. You make shots, miss shots, just get back on defense, next-shot mentality. It’s been working for me.’’
17 of those games in Williams’ highly-productive stretch came without Zach LaVine on the court.
LaVine is sidelined for the next two weeks at least with a sprained ankle. This is the time for Williams to find that rhythm again.
A ‘Big Year’ for Patrick Williams
“This is a really big year for Patrick Williams,” Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said during the NBA TV broadcast of the Bulls’ win over the Toronto Raptors on July 7. “I think for us to take that next level, Patrick’s gotta grow. I know he’s put in the work this summer – he’s going to continue to put in the work…He’s really gotta take another step.”
Williams, in addition to being a former top-five pick in his fourth NBA season, is in the final year of his rookie contract. The Bulls surely want to get a better idea of what he is as a player before making any further commitment.
An argument could be made that the lingering uncertainty about Williams is their answer.
