What can Bulls realistically expect from Patrick Williams as he nears return?

Patrick Williams’ return to action is drawing near after he was cleared for contact.

Chicago Bulls wing Patrick Williams has been out since late October after tearing ligaments in left wrist against the New York Knicks. Williams started in all but one game last season as a rookie for the Bulls, playing an integral part in the team’s defense.

Williams was cleared for contact Wednesday and has been assigned to the Bulls’ G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. Head coach Billy Donovan penciled in Williams’ return for late March prior to him being officially cleared for contact.

“I’m pretty confident about that,” Donovan said before Monday’s loss to the Kings. “Unless there’s some kind of setback or he doesn’t feel like he’s got the strength necessary.”

Williams had a complex surgery, requiring him to not use his left hand for months. As his rehab ramped up, he still wasn’t cleared for partial contact until early March. Now, he’s set to get game action for the first time in a while.

What can the Bulls expect from Patrick Williams when he returns?

After a long break without much basketball activity, there isn’t any true measure for what version of Williams the Bulls will get. At his best, Williams is a long defensive stopper with the athleticism to punish teams in transition. At his worst, he’s an offensive liability.

Williams has been out for most of the season, only appearing in five games. His sample size with this current roster is minimal. He’ll need time to develop chemistry with DeRozan, Caruso and Ball once he returns.

Getting in game shape will take time as well. Caruso recently came back from a month-long rehab and has looked a step slow. Going from 30% to 100% is a lot to ask for athletes at the highest level. Williams has been working out with team officials throughout his rehab, but has just been cleared for full contact. What he’s been doing during rehab can only help so much, though.

His time with the Windy City Bulls will help get him closer to game shape, but the NBA is obviously a different beast than the G-League. He’ll need additional time to get acclimated once he’s ready to go with the regulars.

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His potential as a quality two-way player was clear in his rookie campaign. He scored 64% of his points inside the 3-point line and 46% of those in the paint. He’s a slasher who can free up Zach LaVine, Coby White and Alex Caruso on the perimeter.

He didn’t show confidence in his jump shot, though, attempting less than one 3-pointer per game. In March, teams have double DeRozan and LaVine on drives, forcing the Bulls’ role players to hit open jumpers. Williams hasn’t shown he can do that when healthy.

What’s likely to happen when Williams returns is Donovan using him off the bench — a role he thrived in at his time at Florida State. In this scenario, he would be with White and Caruso, two guards who are respected beyond the arc and can hit cutters off the dribble. Caruso and Williams can be a driving force for the second unit’s defense.

If Williams is to resume his role as a starter, he would have to be at his prime defensive form, which simply won’t be possible after all the missed time. The Bulls’ star players aren’t lockdown defenders, though LaVine has tried to step up his defense as of late. The other two players on the court typically have the one job of locking down the other team’s better ball handlers and hitting open shots when the stars are doubled. Both would be hard for Williams to do right away.

Donovan understands this and didn’t commit to putting Williams back in the starting lineup immediately.

"“I just don’t know what we’re gonna get. He’s (Williams) really worked hard,” Donovan said. “I think adding Patrick helps our team. But for a guy that’s missed five months, and the first day he comes back, just to unload him into the starting lineup, I don’t know if that would be the best thing for our team and I don’t know if that would necessarily be fair to Patrick.“If we were whole (when Williams returns), I think the best thing to do with him would be to ease him in and bring him off the bench. That’s just my opinion right now,” Donovan said. “I don’t think it would be fair to him, just to throw him — with the number of games he’s missed and the amount of months he’s missed — to say, his first game back: ‘Hey, he’s starting.’”"

Donovan went on to explain that Williams will need time. Basketball is more than being healthy — it’s about rhythm and routine. Williams has cleared the first hurdle, but the other parts of the game are still coming to him and it might take a little longer than many fans are hoping.