Patrick Williams exited the Chicago Bulls' February 12 contest against the Detroit Pistons after bumping knees with an opposing player. The 23-year-old forward would go on to miss the rest of the contest. He subsequently received an X-ray to determine the severity afterward.
The negative X-rays determined that Williams's right knee did not have structural damage. Following the X-ray results, it was originally anticipated that Williams would miss little or no time, if any. Moreover, his injury fortunately occurred in the Bulls' last contest before the eight-day All-Star break—allowing the 6-foot-7 ample time to recover.
This ⬇️ was from postgame the last game before break. Williams threw a towel in frustration during one timeout. But both he and Billy Donovan downplayed injury that night. Williams practiced fully last two days but obviously it’s now an issue, sidelined at least 2 weeks. https://t.co/UoXNyaWPAL
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 20, 2025
Williams even appeared on track to suit up for the Bulls' Thursday night contest against the New York Knicks. He participated in back-to-back practices on Tuesday and Wednesday following All-Star Weekend. However, he was ruled out on Wednesday, post-practice, due to "right quadriceps tendon soreness."
Patrick Williams to be re-evaluated in two weeks following PRP injections
Then, a day later, the Bulls announced Williams would be out much longer than anticipated. The former fourth-overall pick received a platelet-rich plasma injection to treat tendinosis in his injured right knee. Williams is slated to miss at least two weeks of action.
Medical Update: Patrick Williams received a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection to treat tendinosis in his right knee. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks. pic.twitter.com/QqaD6Ly5RF
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 20, 2025
This will be Williams's second elongated stint in street clothes this season. The bleak outlook following an originally optimistic outlook is eerily similar to Williams' first injury diagnosis in November. The former starter experienced inflammation in his surgically repaired foot after helping the Bulls defeat the Pistons on November 18.
Although the Bulls downplayed the severity of the injury, Williams would go on to miss 10 consecutive contests. Head Coach Billy Donovan originally stated that Williams was expected to "miss a week or so" of action. The former Florida State Seminole ended up missing three weeks, returning on December 13 in a limited role.
While Williams has been healthy for much of the 2024-25 campaign, injuries have marred the fifth-year pro's career. Williams has appeared in 258 of a possible 373 contests. He missed nearly all of his second season because of a wrist injury and half of his fourth season due to left foot surgery.
The most optimistic outlook for Williams this season is appearing in 64 contests. With the two-week re-evaluation timeline in place, his next chance to suit up is a March 8 tilt against the Orlando Magic. Nonetheless, Williams may miss even more time, considering his injury history.
If everything goes right, once Williams is re-evaluated, he'll enter a ramp-up period to adjust to game speed prior to his next appearance. With Chicago's fifth-leading scorer sidelined, expect a lot more Matas Buzelis. The rookie has already started Chicago's previous four contests, but Buzelis is in for an expanded role as the lone remaining combo forward.
Aside from an uptick in minutes from Buzelis, expect more Julian Phillips. The former second-rounder's minutes have fluctuated through the season, seeing a month-low 9.5 per game in February. Phillips saw nearly 20 minutes per game the last instance Williams missed significant time.