Getty Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat and Tristan Thompson #3 of the Chicago Bulls battle for the loose basketball.
It is good to have friends, and family in places of importance. In the case of Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams, his standing in the eyes of the front office would like a leg up for his older brother, Kobie Williams.
But the latter will have to earn his way in and he is taking the steps to do just that.
The Bulls G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, held tryouts on September 10. Alongside nearly 200 other hopefuls, Kobie took part in the trials while Patrick sat in attendance.
The elder Williams played two years at Division-II Claflin before transferring to Georgia Southern for the 2018-19 season. He declared for the 2020 NBA Draft but, having gone unselected then, spent this past season with the Windsor Express of the NBL in Canada. Could Kobie join his brother in the Bulls organization?
Williams by the Numbers
Williams took to social media to share a strong message in the wake of the tryouts, though it’s unclear if it’s related.
I don’t need no validation from nobody I know I’m him‼️ #Respectfully
Williams averaged 5.7 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Express this past season including a 22-point, 8-rebound showing against the London Lightning on March 13. He also dropped 19 points and 7 boards against the Sudbury Five.
In college, Williams showed glimpses of being a sharpshooter in the future.
He knocked down 48.6% of his threes on limited volume while also hitting over 85% of his free throws starting 13 games as a freshman for Claflin.
Williams still shows those flashes knocking down 41.2% of his triples and 48.1% of his looks overall for the Express who went 4-8 when he played. He appeared mostly in a reserve role but those his two highest-scoring games came as he saw over 25 minutes.
The Bulls do not have any openings on their roster and even finally saw Malcolm Hill – another 6-foot-6 shooter – sign his qualifying offer.
But keeping Williams around could be another way to unlock a key piece of the Bulls’ puzzle.
Bulls Need Williams to Step Up
Kobie making the Windy City Bulls and, through some form or fashion, the Bulls NBA roster would be an awesome story. The Bulls need Patrick to step up this season after a relatively quiet offseason.
He only played 17 games last season 12 of which came after a 48-game absence while he recovered from wrist surgery.
Williams’ 41.3% career mark from three is needed amid Lonzo Ball‘s injury concerns.
The younger Williams has owned that it is on him to take the next steps in his career.
“For me, it’s just kind of picking my spots. Knowing when and where my spots are,” Williams said during his exit interview, “everybody around the team is just telling me to stay aggressive, be aggressive, and try to…make plays. Whether it’s for myself or for teammates, on both ends….it’s just a matter of focusing on it in the game.”
Doing that this season will go a long way toward the Bulls shocking the NBA world as they did last season. And if having his brother around more is a step towards that, the Bulls would surely be all for it.