Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons Patrick Williams could be Rookie of the Year

2) Why Chicago Bulls F Pat Williams can win ROY

Potential starting role over Otto Porter Jr.

The fact that Donovan gave a start to Williams so early in his rookie campaign (even before tip off of the regular season) over a proven veteran small forward in Otto Porter Jr. shows the level of trust that this organization has in him. And Williams didn’t let them down in his first start in the preseason.

In the Dec. 16 road win for the Bulls over the Thunder, by the final score of 124-103, Williams was very efficient in 27 minutes on the floor. He registered 13 points, seven rebounds, no assists, no steals, and two blocks. And Williams shot an efficient 6-of-9 from the field, 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, and 0-of-1 from the free-throw line.

Williams does have to get better at finding his teammates when the lane and/or shot selection isn’t there for him. But at just 19 years old, that part of Williams’ game should come along with time. For now, it’s nice to see how well he’s doing as both an off-ball and one-on-one defender, and as a tertiary ball handler/facilitator on the offensive end.

I keep saying it over and over again, but patience should win the day with Williams’ development early in his career. But the thing is that, patience might not have to be so important for the Bulls staff and fan base as he’s showing signs of becoming an immediate impact type of player as a rookie for this rotation.