Tag: Patrick Williams

It’s been a rocky start to the year for Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams. After getting benched by head coach Billy Donovan in the preseason, he hasn’t performed up to par during the regular season so far. He’s due a contract extension, but with the way he’s been playing, there could be questions as to whether or not he’ll be brought back.

The latest piece of damning evidence against Williams came in during the Bulls’ recent win over the Indiana Pacers. After Alex Caruso hit a clutch three, social media quickly pointed to Williams’ body language on the bench in the video of the shot.

Williams slowly walks away to the side with an expressionless face. Even he admitted it looked bad.

Internally, as the Chicago Bulls prepare for the season, hopes are high. But from the outside looking in, Chicago appears more like an 11th seed than a team fighting for playoff positioning. They have three All-Stars at the top of the roster, but it hasn’t been enough over the course of the past two seasons.

Now, heading into this year, they’ll need other guys outside of their top three to step up into larger roles. They added a couple of role players in free agency this summer, but above all, they need some of their younger players to take massive leaps forward if they hope to compete for the postseason.

One of those guys is Patrick Williams, and Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes he could be a breakout player for the Bulls this year.

“He must become more assertive and add more to his offensive bag,” Buckley wrote. “He is too talented to keep being stuck in the three-and-D role he has largely filled to this point.

“If he makes some improvements, though, this is one of those situations where the sky is the limit in terms of how much better he can get. Nothing would mean more to Chicago’s season than Williams becoming the star wing who can take this roster to the next level.”

Williams is already one of the best defenders on the roster, but the Bulls need him to take the next steps offensively if they want him to become the best version of himself, and in turn, if they want to become the best versions of themselves as a team.

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The Chicago Bulls have been a middle-of-the-pack team for the past two seasons, and a big reason behind their lack of success has been a failure to consistently produce on the offensive end. Despite having three great offensive weapons in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, they haven’t been on top of their game on that end.

But while those three have done a solid job of carrying the load, the complementary weapons in Chicago haven’t lived up to expectations. Patrick Williams, in particular, has been disappointing since getting drafted by the team. That said, he’s looking to make real improvements this year.

He said that he needs to be more involved in the offense and get better at scoring the ball.

“For me, it’s been trying to get the ball in my hands more, which obviously I love,” Williams told Will Gottlieb of CHGO. “For us to win, I have to carry some load offensively,” he continued. “I have to score the ball. That’s just the player I want to be in this league. I want to be one of the best two-way players in the game. I have the talent and skills to do that.”

Williams went on to talk about the more nuanced ways he can improve on the offensive end.

“I’ve always been this size, this strong, this athletic,” Williams said. “I’ve got this bounce. It’s just knowing how to use it. When to use it. How to get downhill instead of settling for a pull-up. Or hesi maybe, then a big shoulder to get to the rim all the way.”

If the Bulls want to reach their ceiling, Williams needs to take a huge step forward, especially on the offensive end.

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When the 2023 offseason got underway, some questioned whether or not the Chicago Bulls should hit the tank button. They’ve had two years with their current win-now core but have won just a single playoff game. Despite that, they brought back all their pieces, adding just a couple of rotation guys on the fringes.

Now, as next season inches closer, some are beginning to wonder about what the next steps should be for the Bulls. Their ceiling hasn’t changed much since last year. If anything, everyone around them has gotten better, so they could be in for a rough year. Should they shake up the core?

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently wrote about a risk every team around the league should take, and for the Bulls, he suggested they explore potential trades for Patrick Williams.

“If the Bulls want to give this group the best possible odds of competing, then they have to explore what Patrick Williams’ potential would bring back on the trade market,” Buckley wrote. “He has had a solid start to his career, but moments of special play have been few and far between for the 2020 draft’s No. 4 pick.

“If teams out there still envision the 22-year-old as Kawhi Leonard 2.0, then he might anchor the kind of offer that could fetch an impact player who could dramatically change this franchise’s fortune.

“If teams see Williams as more of a trade sweetener and wouldn’t deliver a difference-maker in a deal built around him, then Chicago is better off keeping him around and hoping he can maximize his potential sooner than later.”

Trading Williams would be a huge risk, as it would sacrifice even more of Chicago’s future, but is it worth it?

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The Chicago Bulls have failed to take the necessary steps forward to improve the ceiling of the team. Instead, they’ve spent the past two seasons nursing a middling core and have just one playoff win to show for their efforts.

They made a couple of solid additions this summer: Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, but they will not be enough to get them over the hump. If they want to make the jump from play-in contender to a legitimate playoff team, they need their existing guys to develop. One of those who need to take the biggest jump is Patrick Williams.

Matt, Big Dave, and Will of CHGO Sports recently sat down to discuss Williams’ lack of development, noting his mindset will determine how much he can improve moving forward.

Will Williams finally take a jump this season? Or will Bulls fans once again be left wanting more?

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The Chicago Bulls decided to change the structure of their team two years ago. They traded for Nikola Vucevic and signed DeMar DeRozan the following summer, creating a Big 3 of those two and Zach LaVine. Unfortunately, the Bulls have won a single playoff game since then.

All three are multiple-time All-Stars capable of helping the Bulls put together a relatively competitive season. While some begged them to blow up the roster this summer, Chicago doubled down on its win-now plans, adding depth pieces and bringing back their core players. But none of that matters unless one player picks up the pace: Patrick Williams.

If the Bulls want to be the best version of themselves, Williams needs to reach his ceiling. But that raises another question: What is Williams’ ceiling?

The 21-year-old forward just wrapped up an impressive season in which he appeared in all 82 games, starting 65. He didn’t take any major statistical jumps, but his efficiency was amazing, and that’s why Chicago needs to lean on him more.

Obviously, LaVine and DeRozan are going to take care of the scoring on most nights, and Vucevic will deliver healthy contributions, too, but the Bulls can allow Williams to get more involved with his 3-point shooting and athleticism.

Williams projects as a top-notch 3-and-D forward, and his defensive talent is clear. But if the Bulls want him to be at his best, they need to get him more involved on the offensive end.

Catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities may be the best way to do this (and it’d also help the Bulls’ 3-point woes) while simultaneously not taking away from the rest of the team.

For Williams, increasing his shot volume by taking more 3s could be the best-case scenario.

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