When it comes to an injury derailing the progress of a top NBA draft pick, Patrick Williams knows a thing or two, having lost much of his second season in the NBA to a wrist injury. So that might be influencing his choice of which player ought to win the NBA’s 2024 Rookie of the Year award.
Or we could take the Chicago Bulls forward at his word when he gave his reasoning for having Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren over San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama in that award race. “I think I like to reward winning, said Williams in a recent interview with The Spurs Wire, alluding to Holmgren.
“I’m not saying he’s the best,” qualified the Bulls star. “I just think winning should set the rules.”
Chicago's Patrick Williams on using his platform for good, his recovery, and the Bulls' season to come https://t.co/RFoEhBxlZq pic.twitter.com/A0cFy5B5k6
— Bulls Wire (@Bulls_Wire) March 2, 2024
A solid counterargument to that position is that being an actual rookie ought to set the rules. But then, we know Williams has a soft spot for folks who’ve had to sit out key parts of their rookie contract — as he should.
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