The Chicago Bulls fell in their penultimate preseason game, losing 106-102 to the Toronto Raptors on October 17.
They were down Alex Caruso due to an ankle injury. But, with everyone else available, this was supposed to be the closest thing to their regular season rotation to date. If so, what we saw from Patrick Williams and heard from head coach Billy Donovan could be telling for the Bulls.
Donovan pulled Williams in favor of free agent pick-up Torrey Craig less than three minutes into the contest. Williams would re-enter the game, and play a critical role down the stretch of the eventual loss. But Craig ended up playing five more minutes than Williams and finishing with a better plus-minus.
That plus-minus might be dismissable since it was just the preseason.
But the playing time and Donovan’s explanation for pulling Williams pointed to the latter’s long-time bugaboo: aggression.
“I just thought there were a lot of opportunities for him to get to the backboard and offensive rebound,” Donovan said, per Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score. “We had kind of talked about it, and I just didn’t like the way we kind of came out.”
Williams finished the game with 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting. He added three rebounds and two assists in over 21 minutes of play. He had four turnovers, was a minus-11, and scored most of his points with the Bulls’ top players off the floor. His fit next to those players is critical. But Donovan was not worried about scoring or even taking shots this time.
He has harped on Williams’ rebounding before.
Billy Donovan: Patrick Williams an ‘Elite Rebounder’
“We need it to be more consistent,” Donovan said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune on April 2. “When he does go, he’s an elite rebounder and he’s got great strength.”
Williams’ career high for rebounds in a single game is 14, set in his rookie season against the San Antonio Spurs. He had three games with double-digit rebounds that season but has had just two in the two seasons since.
The former No. 4 overall pick (2020) made 17 appearances in 2021-22 due to injury. But he appeared in all 82 games last season and only recorded one game with double-digit boards, though he did come close on several other occasions. Williams averaged 4.0 rebounds last season, the lowest mark of his career.
He also saw Caruso take his starting job last season and voiced frustration with his effort.
But, after the loss to Toronto, Williams said that he was “confident” with where he was with his game, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
If he continues to average something similar to the 2.5-rebound pace he is on through four games this preseason, however, he might lose it this season to Craig who has already said he is here to get the best out of Williams.
Torrey Craig Aiming to Push Patrick Williams
Craig signed a two-year, $5.4 million contract this offseason and comes with a reputation as a tough defender that was on full display in the loss to Toronto. He did not shoot the ball well, either, going 2-for-7 from the floor and finishing with four points. But he added five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal and was a plus-seven in over 26 minutes.
TC said no ❌
“In practice, I’m gonna compete with him, I’m gonna talk trash to him, I’m gonna be physical with him. Bump him around a little bit, try to get more of the competitive edge out of him,” Craig said via Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls on October 14. “Try to get the best out of him every day.”
Perhaps that means relegating Williams to a role off the bench where he can play more freely which should also show in his willingness to attack the boards.
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Bulls HC Issues Telling Explanation for Pulling Patrick Williams