Getty Derrick Jones Jr. #5 and Patrick Williams #44 of the Chicago Bulls battle an opponent for a rebound.
The preseason did not necessarily go as many had planned or hoped for, especially when it came to Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams. Despite the team’s success – they went 3-1 and showcased their revamped offense – Williams found himself relegated to the bench in half of the contests.
He regained the job for the finale but it also came with the familiar caveats of not playing next to DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
Williams not being fit for the starting lineup could be seen as catastrophic for this front office.
But it could also be an opportunity for Williams to thrive in a more conventional fashion given how this roster is constructed. The idea of Williams has always been as a future star but that doesn’t necessarily have to come in the starting lineup.
Williams Could Thrive Off Bench
“Williams conceded that he isn’t the same instinctive player when sharing the court with the team’s stars,” notes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. A move to the second unit seems inevitable at this point, especially after the way [Javonte] Green performed in preseason. Williams would be relieved of his apprehension. He’ll have three guards and a passing big in [Alex] Caruso, [Goran] Dragić, [Coby] White, and [Andre] Drummond to help facilitate his offense, and he no longer would have to dedicate all his attention to defending the best players on the planet.”
The former fourth-overall pick (through no fault of his own as Billy Donovan was quick to point out) has already shown an ability to step his game up when unencumbered by the weight of the expectations playing alongside DeRozan and LaVine.
PAT. HAVE MERCY
Williams went for 22 points, five assists, five rebounds, and one steal in the preseason finale.
It was a performance in line with his 2021 regular-season finale when he had 35 points, four assists, and four rebounds leading Mayberry to suggest a “reasonable goal” for the youngster.
“Could Williams average, say, 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal off the bench? It would put him in the conversation for NBA Sixth Man of the Year if the Bulls remain in playoff contention. It would be the start of a leap everyone is looking for Williams to take.”
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro won the award last season averaging 20.8 points on 58% true shooting and hitting 42.1% of his threes with 4.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
What Herro doesn’t bring is the defense that Williams could to make up for the scoring gap.
Stats Back it Up
Awards aside, Williams did average 12 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in the five games leading up to that regular-season finale. He also shot the three-ball at a 63%-clip last season – albeit on just 2.2 attempts per game – and finished the postseason averaging 21.5 points (53.8% 3P) and 5.5 rebounds over the last two games.
Only three of the games in either of those sample sizes came with Williams starting next to all three of DeRozan, LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic.
Williams averaged 13.3 points and canned 50% of his threes in those games.
Furthermore, Williams posted a 108.4 offensive rating with the Bulls’ Big Three on the floor and a 117.5 without them last season, per Cleaning The Glass, while his defensive rating worsens by just 2.2 points per 100 possessions.
Best for Everyone
The sample size with the Bull’s best trio is far greater than without — about a 700-possession gap. But the eye test supports what the data says.
Williams, at this point in his career, has trouble fitting in with the Bulls’ stars.
“I think it’s a great test for us,” Billy Donovan on the season opener against Miami. He says the Bulls staff is still figuring out who will start at power forward – Patrick Williams or Javonte Green – and how a likely 10-man rotation will work @cbschicago
And, while coming off of the bench may be a step back right now, it could lead to a big step forward as Williams gets the opportunity to get completely comfortable with his game. At this point, that could be the best-case scenario for everyone involved.