It appears Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is about to draw the ire of supporters in Chicago with his choice to complete a starting lineup that includes Josh Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic with much-maligned and not-so-fan-favorite forward Patrick Williams.
At least that's the way things are looking -- literally -- on the team's X account.
At this point, it's fair to call Williams a bust. The fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has completed five seasons and played 276 games, 211 of which were starts, and owns career averages of 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The former Florida State standout has all the alluring physical tools needed for a wing to succeed in the League, but he's a passive player who lacks the mentality needed to be a true difference-maker.
Giddey is a lock to start at point guard after signing a four-year, $100 million contract earlier this month. White was the Bulls' best scorer last season, Buzelis is primed to take the proverbial sophomore leap and Vucevic is the team's best option at center despite turning 35 years old and being a poor schematic fit.
The addition of Williams to that group won't excite fans, and, frankly, doesn't make much sense.
Billy Donovan is making a bad call with Bulls' potential fifth starter
How do we know it's Williams who will join the starting lineup? It looks clear:
It's officially basketball szn 🏀 pic.twitter.com/Kc9kBA1Nr8
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 29, 2025
There are several other directions Donovan could go to fill out his opening group. The aforementioned quartet with Kevin Huerter at small forward was one of Chicago's most productive lineups last season. Ayo Dosunmu was a solid sixth man, but he would also be a solid fifth starter as a third guard alongside Giddey and White, given the Bulls' desire to play with pace, spread the floor and shoot a ton of threes.
Williams started 35 of Chicago's first 36 games last year. He played 26.6 minutes per contest and averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists -- eerily close to his career numbers. At least he's consistent.
The Bulls went 15-21 during that stretch. With Huerter in the starting lineup for 15 of the final 17 games, they were 12-3.
Patrick Williams doesn't belong with the rest of Chicago's starters
Giddey, White, Williams, Buzelis and Vucevic played a whopping eight minutes together across seven games and had a net rating of ... wait for it ... minus-74.5. There was one hidden positive, at least: For a team that wants to lead the NBA in pace, that lineup averaged nearly 124 possessions per 48 minutes.
The group that featured Huerter in the Williams spot played 134 minutes over nine games and had a net rating of 5.2. It scored 40.0 points per game, shot 54.1 percent from the field and hit 38.6 percent of its team-high 9.8 triples a night. It was also the best rebounding lineup Chicago fielded and averaged the second-most assists behind only a setup that included Zach LaVine, who departed the Windy City on Feb. 2.
Maybe the Bulls are playing games with us. Maybe Donovan comes to his senses and realizes Williams is far better off playing 15 minutes a night off the bench. Whatever the case, it's plain to see (pun intended) this is not a group that should share the floor.