Bulls News: Is Patrick Williams set to finally have a breakout season?

Gary Vasquez - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Tuesday, September 12 2023

When the Bulls drafted Patrick Williams with the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA draft, there were a lot of mixed feelings coming from that decision. On paper, this was one of those high-risk, high-reward type of moves as Williams was one of the more impressive players at the combine. The risk factor came from his role in college, as he was the sixth man at Florida State and never started a game in college. Typically, you don't make a first-round pick on a player who has yet to start, but the Bulls did that.

Standing at 6-8 and weighing 225 pounds, Williams is caught in the middle of two positions as he has seen time at the SF and PF positions. Ideally, the SF would be the perfect spot for him, but with Demar DeRozan on the roster, Williams has had to play out of position the past two years and has been inconsistent at best because of it.

You also have to throw in his wrist injury during his second NBA season that limited him to just 17 games that season, and his first three years in Chicago have not gone as planned. With Williams entering his fourth season in what could be a make-or-break year for him and this team, reports are coming out around the league that they feel this could be the breakout year the Bulls have been waiting for with Williams.

No one is going to deny the potential that Williams has, which he demonstrated during the summer league before getting hurt in his second season. This guy could be a 15-18 PPG scorer who plays solid defense and can guard multiple positions. You saw that at times late last season and in the playoffs the year before, but when there is no consistency, it leaves fans wanting more.

The Bulls added Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter this offseason while retaining the likes of Coby White and Nikola Vucevic. All have proven they can score points, but they have also done it inconsistently, apart from Vucevic. That is the problem with this Bulls roster. They have as much talent as anyone, but the overall inconsistency with the team and players is downright frustrating, to say the least.

One of the most significant areas of concern among the fans is the player development side of the organization or the lack of player development. No matter who the Bulls have drafted in recent seasons, their overall production is minimal at best in the first two seasons, as Billy Donovan doesn't like to stick with young players. You saw that with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and you are seeing it now, which has always been the biggest knock against him.

If you are not going to play your young players, you need to develop them, which he has done poorly at. Personally, the best way to develop players is to get them in-game action, but for whatever reason, the Bulls don't feel that way. They have gotten better over the past two seasons, but Williams overall production was affected early on because the Bulls front office didn't know what to do with him and how to develop him as a player.

Now entering his fourth season with the team and potentially playing for his future job or next contract, Williams could be on the verge of a breakout season if he trusts himself and the Bulls let him do what he does best. When you look at his career numbers, 9.7 PPG is nothing to get excited about, but that aligns with his college average 9.4.

However, Williams put together his best season last year, where he averaged 10.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG. He did that while playing in all 82 games, proving he can be durable and log tons of minutes. While the 10.2 PPG may be the season total, it doesn't show his play during the second half of the season when the Bulls moved him back to the bench.

During that 22-game stretch, Williams was at his best before moving back into the starting lineup, averaging 13.6 PPG during that time and 5.1 RPG. It was the first time in his career that he looked confident on the court, and it came in a familiar role as the sixth man. Williams also shot a team-best 41.4% from distance last season, another area of his game that no one talks about.

The production he showed in the final two months is the production the Bulls are hoping for this season and at a more consistent level. Look for him to be the starting PF once the season begins, but I would argue to leave him on the bench. He was a sixth man in college and played better as a sixth man last season.

That is where he is the most comfortable, and many players have made a living like that, including Jamaal Crawford. For Williams and the Bulls to be at their best, they must find the perfect role and trust him to make the plays as a player. Having him come off the bench and give them instant offense could be the key to seeing how good he can be.