Even though the Chicago Bulls only split a pair of recent matchups with the Orlando Magic, rookie Patrick Williams turned in his best two-game stretch of the season and set some benchmarks in the process.
The Bulls traveled to Orlando to face the Magic in a back-to-back set as Williams produced a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds on Friday in a narrow loss. His 20 points were more than he had scored in any game in college at Florida State.
Williams, at 19 years, 163 days, became the youngest player in team history to score 20 points in a game.
The fourth overall pick followed that performance up on Saturday with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double in a 26-point win.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan challenged Williams to be more aggressive, and the rookie responded. Williams finished the two-game trip totaling 36 points, on 58.3% shooting from the field, and 17 rebounds.
Zach LaVine, who scored 39 points on Saturday, offered high praise for Williams.
“When he plays like that I don’t think he understands his strength and his physicality at 19, it’s ridiculous,” LaVine said. “He’s a monster, he’s going to be a monster. When he plays with that type of intention, it really helps our team.”
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Williams throughout the season has shown flashes of his potential and the Bulls are looking to get consistent performances from him on a nightly basis. When Williams can be aggressive and produce on the court, the Bulls can be a good team and that certainly bodes well for their future.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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