Getty Patrick Williams shoots the ball over Brook Lopez during an April 30 game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
As the Chicago Bulls continue to slide, and with the playoffs all but out of reach, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who isn’t disappointed with the season’s outcome.
Especially after the team’s big swing on two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, a move that was supposed to cement them as a playoff team in the East.
Now 26-38 with eight games remaining, few would blame the Bulls for calling it quits on the year.
Fortunately for viewers, Patrick Williams has no plans of that just yet.
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Chicago’s Rookie Sounds Off
After the Chicago Bulls’ latest loss to the Atlanta Hawks, one that came without both Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, rookie Patrick Williams spoke to reporters after his 19-point outing.
When asked about the “stretch run” the team is on, and whether it was a frustrating experience for him as a rookie, the 19-year responded and sounded wise beyond his years:
Every year isn’t going to be the year that you want it to be. No year is going to be perfect honestly, so just learning from this situation, learning what it takes to win and kind of what we’re doing well and what we’re not doing well.
Williams also made sure to note that neither he nor the team feels as if the season is over yet:
This season isn’t over yet. We still have a few more games to go. Hopefully, we play our way into that play-in bubble and we play in the postseason. I haven’t given up on the season. Nobody in the locker room has given up on the season. We’re going to compete ’til the end; that’s the mentality in the locker room.
He’s not wrong, but his optimism may be wrongly placed. With eight games to go, the Bulls are three games back of the 11th-seed Washington Wizards, who’ve won 12 out of their last 15.
It would take a heavy lift, and an enormous amount of luck, for Chicago to find themselves even in just the play-in tournament, which is only good for a shot at a playoff berth.
Still, fans will no doubt appreciate Patrick Williams’ optimism during this downslide.
As he figures to be a long-term piece for the Chicago Bulls, it’s as good a tell as any for what kind of teammate and voice he’ll become in the locker room moving forward.
Updated Bulls Playoff Odds
After their latest loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls drop to 26-38.
That’s good for the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference, and three games back of the 10th seed Washington Wizards.
Five Thirty Eight has the Bulls’ playoff chances at less than one percent.
Elsewhere, Tankathon.com has Chicago’s remaining schedule as the sixth-toughest in the entire NBA.
So the odds are stacked against the Chicago Bulls, who are 4-8 in their last 12.
Eight games to go.
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Patrick Williams Sounds Off on Bulls’ Slide: “Season Isn’t Over”