Through three preseason games, the Chicago Bulls have kicked off their 2025-26 campaign to an inconsistent yet intriguing start. The team has shown plenty of growing pains as the young players adjust to expanded roles, but their flashes of individual promise have been hard to ignore.
So far, the names drawing the most attention from fans and media have been Matas Buzelis and Ayo Dosunmu, and rightfully so. Yet, one player has quietly shown he is ready to begin living up to the expectations placed on him upon arriving in Chicago: Patrick Williams. His newfound energy, assertiveness, and improved offensive game, together with his already elite defensive versatility, make him one of the most unexpected storylines for the Bulls early into the season.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan summed it up perfectly: “When you talk to Patrick, he's a guy that assumes responsibility. There's a certain amount of runway you end up having, and that runway kind of ends, and it's like, 'OK, you've got to step up.'”
Williams' frustrating career
Drafted fourth overall in 2020, Williams arrived in Chicago with sky-high expectations, being unfairly compared to then-four-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard. Scouts were fascinated by his length, athleticism, and defensive instincts—factors that allowed him to rapidly jump up draft boards just days before hearing his name called, despite not starting a single game in his lone season at Florida State.
But through his first five NBA seasons, Williams has generally fallen short of that potential. Inconsistency, a lack of confidence, and injury limitations frustrated both fans and media, leaving many wondering if he would ever fully reach the potential that made him a top-five pick.
Glimpses of hope in preseason
Now, Williams is beginning to show what that potential could look like. In the Bulls’ first preseason matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he displayed fresh confidence and efficiency, putting up 11 points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting, along with two rebounds and three assists in Chicago’s come-from-behind one-point victory. The second game against Cleveland saw his efficiency dip (going 3-for-8 for 8 points). However, his defense remained impactful, producing a steal and a plus-8 plus-minus while serving as the lockdown defender for the second unit.
Williams’ performance in the most recent preseason matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks was perhaps his most complete. Despite a six-point loss, he delivered a near triple-double with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a plus-7 plus-minus. His assertiveness and all-around impact were the kind of play style all Bulls fans have been begging to see from him for years.
Reason for optimism
If this early trend continues, Chicago may finally be seeing the version of Patrick Williams that matched the promise of a fourth overall pick. Preseason stats can be slightly deceiving, but this string of performances can also be a reason for hope. After years of frustration and inconsistency, Williams’ unexpected breakout is exactly the kind of development a young Bulls team needs as it heads into the regular season, looking for development out of their extremely youth-driven roster.