Getty Patrick Williams #44 of the Chicago Bulls takes the floor.
We are just four games into the 2022-23 regular season and patience for third-year Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is already wearing thin. This past offseason has, by default, placed a heavy burden on Williams to take the next step in his development.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said as much on media day after a quiet offseason and Lonzo Ball’s injury left them as the squad that has taken the floor this season.
In that light, Williams’ season has been nothing short of a disappointment to this point.
Through four games, it can be argued that Williams has regressed quite a bit as he has posted career lows virtually across the board. Perhaps the worst part is he has remained passive as ever when on the floor with the Bulls’ top trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic leading one former Bulls to call him out.
Will Purdue to Williams: ‘This Is On You’
Williams is averaging 5.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 32% from the floor and has hit just two of his 10 looks from beyond the arc. But those aren’t what former Bulls center and four-time NBA champion Will Perdue chided Williams for.
“There’s no verbal message needed. To me, that’s pretty much…this is on [Williams]. But the thing that really stands out to me as I started to go look at his numbers, he doesn’t even have an assist yet. So if you can grab that ball, get out on the break, and attract the defense you should have an assist…I think that goes to just, unfortunately, how passive he is.”
The 6-foot-7 Williams finished four points on 2-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, and – to Purdue’s point – no assists.
He saw just over 12 minutes and was again relegated to mop-up duty with the game in hand.
What’s most troubling about Purdue’s assessment is that it came before the game and after Williams spoke of coaches and teammates being in his ear about keeping at it. He also said that he didn’t think his issues were necessarily about confidence.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of confidence,” Williams told reporters of his struggles. “I think early on that might have been part of it, having the confidence and knowing I can, but I don’t think that’s it now. Now it’s just a matter of getting free and finding those moments and taking advantage of them.” (h/t Julia Poe/Chicago Tribune)
His head coach’s confidence in him might be a different story, though, as shown in a recent trend.
Support for Williams Waning?
Donovan has not been hollow in his charge the Bulls need Williams to take another step forward this season. He showed he was serious by taking the forward out of the starting lineup for two of the Bulls’ three preseason games.
Despite starting him in all four games this season, Williams’ minutes have fallen in every game since the season-opening win over the Miami Heat.
Against Boston, Williams was the only Bulls player to finish with a negative plus-minus.
“Since he’s gotten into the league,” Donovan said, “he’s been always guarding the team’s best players and he’s always taken it on. He’s never batted an eye. I think he has really incredible potential in the future and we all believe in him.”
Patrick Williams telling the roller coaster story will make your day
In his defense, the Bulls are 6.1 points better defensively per 100 possessions with Williams on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass, the fourth-best mark on the team. Unfortunately for everyone involved, they are also 41.3 points worse offensively.
Donovan said this was all a process” but added that Williams “has to respond”.