NEWSLETTER
My formal request to change BN Bulls to BN Patrick Williams has been submitted to the boss man. While I wait to hear back, it feels like a good time to revisit his career-performance from Sunday night.
Head coach Billy Donovan finally decided to shake-up the Bulls starting lineup after the original starting core struggled to mesh. And despite being the youngest player on the team – and one of the youngest players in the entire league, for that matter – Williams maintained his place in the starting group. I’m sure at least some of the motivation to keep him in with the starters is influenced by the fact that he is this front office’s first hand-picked talent. I mean, if the organization is committed to the development of any player on this roster, it would be Williams.
At the same time, Williams has in no way played himself out of a starting role. Unlike Coby White or Wendell Carter Jr., who have been plagued with inconsistence all season, the rookie has pretty much been a constant. He is averaging 10.2 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 from downtown. Williams is also hauling in 4.7 rebounds per game and has repeatedly taken the toughest assignments on the defensive end. And while he has shown more promising glimpses playing the four this season, he has been able to switch rather effortlessly between forward positions.
Previously starting the game alongside fellow-inexperienced talent, it was clear that Williams’ opportunities on the offensive end were limited. Not only were Zach LaVine, Coby White, and Lauri Markkanen scoring options ahead of him, but Williams also didn’t have the benefit of a more experienced playmaker to help open up the floor. Well, things changed when Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young took the court for the Bulls matchup against the Raptors.
Both high-IQ players with a knack of finding the open man, Satoransky and Young assisted on five of Williams’ nine made baskets. He ultimately finished with a career-high 23 points on a career-high 14 shot attempts. Arguably the best fact, though, is that nine of Williams’ shot attempts came within 9ft of the basket, he also shot a beautiful 8-9 on those attempts. A fair number of those buckets were thanks to Williams’ strong and decisive cutting, which is a staple of the offensive system Donovan is trying to run.
We have seen Williams make good cutting decisions before, but I think it’s fair to say never at the volume or success rate we saw against the Raptors. Five of his nine made shots were thanks to smartly timed cuts like the one below. Watch as he clearly anticipates the lane opening up and waits for the defense to commit to Satoransky.
Great cut by Patrick Williams. pic.twitter.com/ZjPOoSa0Jy
— Stephen Noh (@StephNoh) March 15, 2021
Here he is doing it again …
Knowing when and how to time your cuts is a skill. Patrick Williams has had some very nice ones tonight. pic.twitter.com/CbPJN4vzNf
— Stephen Noh (@StephNoh) March 15, 2021
… and again (35-second mark) …
Patrick Williams scored a new career-high in the win!
23 points | 9-of-14 FG | 6 rebs | 4 asts pic.twitter.com/j8I1xgyOQo
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 15, 2021
That isn’t easy, folks. While it’s up to the passer to make a clean pass, it’s on the player to make that pass as easy as possible. Williams knew exactly when to break toward the rim numerous times last night, and that is a highly desirable skillset. It’s also likely a product of being able to trust his veteran teammates.
On top of his smart play scoring the basketball, I think it’s also worth a mention that Williams also tied his career-high in assists with four dimes. He has flashed some really impressive live-dribble passing numerous times this season, and we saw him do it again last night by finding some cutters of his own. One of his best plays of the game was when he dribbled to the elbow, drew Kyle Lowry in, and hit Satoransky on the dive cut for the easy layup.
Both the passing and cutting help represent just how smart and crafty Williams can be, which is also pretty damn scary when we factor in his physical tools that already made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2020 Draft. While I was originally excited to see the entire “young core” play together, I am very much in favor of this new-look rotation. Williams is someone who needs to play a bigger role on the offensive end for his development, and playing alongside the Bulls vets more often this second-half should help open up his game. I now look forward to seeing whether or not it’s only up from here for the rookie.
