Patrick Williams, F
You should not be ignoring the rise on both ends of the floor in flashes that the Bulls are seeing out of the former Florida State Seminoles ACC Sixth Man of the Year and rookie forward Patrick Williams since the All-Star Break let out. Williams is taking his game to new heights as a two-way wing/forward of late.
The 19-year-old 6-foot-7 and 215 pound North Carolina native is showing more and more of the promise that Karnisovas and Eversley bought into when they selected him fourth overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
I’ve said for the entire season thus far that Williams is doing well in terms of the counting stats and shooting percentages, but the advanced metrics are taking a while to catch up. That is a sign that the increase in usage and confidence for Williams needs to pick up as long as his game in progressing in other respects on both ends of the floor.
Nonetheless, you have to be impressed with the way Williams has played in the last few weeks. Since the All-Star Break let out, Williams averaged around nine points per game, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. And he’s shot 49 percent from the field, 35 percent from beyond the arc, and 64 percent from the free-throw line.
With the rest of the NBA starting to take notice of what Williams is doing for the Bulls this season, he’s going to continue to get a bigger opportunity to make an impact for this team down the stretch. Williams has already started in all 46 games he’s played in during his rookie campaign for Donovan. There’s no reason why his game shouldn’t continue to progress down the stretch.