The Chicago Bulls‘ No-4-overall pick Patrick Williams was a late bloomer. A lot of his late surge as a prospect can be attributed to a massive growth spurt during his junior year in high school.
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Williams Grew Seven Inches in High School
We’ve heard of a number of former or current NBA players who have experienced huge growth spurts during their youth. Hall-of-Famer David Robinson and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis are two that come to mind.
The Bulls are hoping Williams follows in those players’ footsteps. He has the growth spurt thing down already. Williams went from a 6-foot guard as a junior in high school to a 6’7″ small forward. The growth changed him from being a smallish guard that might have been overlooked to an intriguing prospect whose stock skyrocketed during the offseason leading up to the draft.
Will Williams Be Penciled in at Small Forward From Day 1?
The Bulls still have Otto Porter Jr. on their roster–for now–though the veteran is a likely trade candidate by February. That said, OPJ figures to be the man to get the starting nod early on, but there is no way Williams won’t see some solid minutes as a he competes with Chandler Hutchinson for backup small forward minutes.
The other good thing about Williams’ game is his ability to play the power forward position. He looks like a young man who is potentially capable of defending four, or maybe even five positions. His defensive versatility will almost ensure him minutes in Billy Donovan’s system.
He Appeared to See a Leap in Athleticism and Overall Physical Maturity
Williams didn’t appear to have as much bounce in high school as he showed at Florida St. Perhaps the growth spurt also helped him to develop the sort of length muscle to finish above the rim.
The more of him I’ve watched, the more comfortable I’m getting with him overall. His former high school coach Jacoby Jones had a lot say about him:
“He’s a winner. His goal is to do whatever it takes to win. If (he has) to be the best defensive player on the team, the best offensive player, whatever it takes, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to help his teammates to rise as well. He’ll be the one giving that encouragement, but he also doesn’t mind saying, ‘You gotta make that play.’ When he messes up, you best believe he’ll say, ‘That’s my fault. I didn’t make that play.’”
Spencer Dinwiddie Says, “He Has No Ceiling”
According to former Bulls guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who played with Williams as the latter prepared for the NBA Draft, the Bulls’ rookie doesn’t have a ceiling.
@BullsWisco @patricklw4 He has no ceiling
That’s high praise, but there is still plenty of work to do when rookie training camps begin on December 1 and the first game of the regular season is three weeks later on December 22.
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Patrick Williams Had an Anthony-Davis-Like Growth Spurt in High School