Zach LaVine is right, the Chicago Bulls are a confusing team. Chicago recently lost five consecutive games, with four of the five losses coming against teams with losing records. The Bulls would rebound to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers before losing two straight to the Golden State Warriors and shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers.
Zach gets it:
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) January 28, 2025
“We’re a confusing team. Beat Denver and Clippers. Lose to Washington and Portland. We’re figuring it out.
Y’all think the same thing I do.”
Following back-to-back losses, the Bulls defeated the fourth-place Denver Nuggets by eight points. Chicago won 129-121, led by a well-rounded team effort. Seven Bulls scored in double-digits. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic scored 21 and 20, respectively, while Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu combined to score 35. Josh Giddey rounded out the starting five, adding 12 points and dishing out 10 assists.
With Coby White sidelined, Billy Donovan opted to start Lonzo Ball for a fourth consecutive game. Aside from Ball, Dosunmu also took the place of a regular starter. The 6-foot-5 guard started in place of Patrick Williams—who has struggled mightily throughout January.
Patrick Williams removal as starter is significant for many reasons but here are 2: Previously, Billy Donovan has cited matchups/defense as reason PWil started. Bulls are starting 4 guards against a 6-10 power forward in Michael Porter Jr. Plus, 2 are on minutes limit in Ayo/Ball
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025
Williams has averaged a mere 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 31.7 percent from the floor and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc in 13 games (all starts) through the first 26 days of January. Then came the Bulls' 14th contest of the first month of the year against Denver.
Despite the Nuggets' tall(ish) lineup, Donovan inserted Ayo into the starting group in lieu of Williams. To further muddy the waters, Williams wasn't even the first player off the bench, that honor went to Chicago rookie Matas Buzelis. Buzelis came in for Ball with just under seven minutes to go.
It took almost eight minutes and Aaron Gordon's entry for Donovan to call Williams off the pine. Upon entering the game, Williams made his presence felt. He scored two points on two shot attempts and grabbed a pair of boards. Williams' seemingly newfound aggression carried over into the second quarter. The 23-year-old scored five points, hauled in a rebound, and dished out three assists in a team-high nine second-quarter minutes.
Williams didn't start the second half either, coming in after six minutes of action for Dosunmu. He attempted his first shot just a minute later. Then, Williams came up with a steal and scored his first basket of the second half with over a minute remaining—a 16-foot jumper.
The fifth-year pro started the fourth quarter, scored two points, and grabbed two rebounds before a quick spurt on the bench. Donovan took Williams out, only to insert him back into the game three minutes later. The former fourth-overall pick didn't score again, but he played a team-high nine minutes and recorded the second-best plus/minus of all Bulls in the final frame.
Patrick Williams has 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assisdts and is closing game after not starting it
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025
Despite not starting the game, Williams ended up closing. Instead of Giddey, Donovan trotted out Williams alongside Ball, Dosunmu, LaVine, and Vucevic. This comes after Williams was absent from the closing lineup in three straight games. The fresh reserve finished the contest with 11 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Williams was second amongst all Bulls as a plus-16 on the night. Perhaps what was most intriguing was the 6-foot-8 forward's aggressiveness. Williams attempted 12 shots, five of which were from beyond the arc. He converted 5-of-12 field goals and 1-of-5 triples.
Patrick Williams praised Billy Donovan’s communication regarding his move to reserve role and said he felt he had more opportunity with second unit.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025
Bench won game for Bulls. 41-10 edge in scoring and 13-0 run to open 4th.
Zach LaVine was so happy for Williams in postgame.
The move to the bench seems to be promising for Williams. Although the sample size is minuscule, it's evident that the struggling forward felt comfortable in a reserve role. He scored his most points in over a week, grabbed his most rebounds since early November, and attempted 12 or more field goals for the first time since January 12.
Williams' newfound assertiveness can certainly be attributed to his new role. Instead of sharing the ball with former All-Stars and looking to score against opposing starters, Williams now has more offensive responsibility, rightfully coming against reserves. Donovan's decision to bench Williams is best for all parties. The pressure has lessened, and Williams can now become comfortable in a debut role.