NEWSLETTER
Patrick Williams, who averaged just 7.4 field goal attempts per game during his rookie season, did a complete 180 in his first taste of Summer League action.
From the team’s first matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans on August 9th, it became quite clear that Williams would use the next few games to test out his newfound offensive aggressiveness – a mentality that fans and teammates alike wanted to see out of Williams as the regular season dragged on (it was clearly something he worked on during his first real NBA offseason).
In Las Vegas, Williams averaged the 4th-most field goal attempts per game, chucking up a total of 58 shots over his three Summer League contests. His previous career-high over a three-game span in the NBA (or college) was 36 from February 3rd-6th this past season. So, yes, this was a massive change. This stint was also the only other time he ever reached double-digit shot attempts in three straight games.
Of course, the opportunity to see this kind of offensive workload was not there during the regular season, nor is it likely to be this year. That’s just the nature of this updated Bulls roster and his place within the hierarchy. However, that doesn’t mean adding to his offensive toolbox and building his confidence on that end of the floor is not a crucial step in his development.
Williams possesses an elite six-foot-eight frame and the kind of multi-positional versatility (at just 19-years-old, no less) that could eventually help him thrive in the modern NBA. He has also flashed a smooth midrange jumper and efficient three-point stroke (shot 43.8% from downtown). Combine that with his already high-caliber defensive instincts, and he has one of the highest two-way ceilings among any young player in the league.
Williams also averaged the third-most minutes per game among Summer League players (34.3), and he notched 21.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in those minutes.
Sure, we would’ve liked to see Williams shoot better than 37.9 percent from the field, but Summer League is the rare place where volume and minutes might as well matter the same as efficiency, particularly for a player like Williams, who’s place in the rotation is already locked up. The sophomore got to whip out moves/shots he never would have tried for the first time during a regular-season game. Some of those moves we may not see again, while others might enter his arsenal. And, hey, that’s the whole point of this process.
Patrick Williams from DEEP. pic.twitter.com/wZDwKBcbe2
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 9, 2021
Now, exactly which version of Williams we’ll see this upcoming season remains unknown, especially as it appears he will move to power forward (where he spent 40 percent of his minutes last season) with the addition of DeMar DeRozan. If one thing is certain, however, it’s that this offensive-minded Summer League performance should put him in a position to better help his team win games, and that is all Williams is looking to do in Year 2.
“Everything is pointing in the right direction, and I just want to do my part to help this team win in any way that I can, whether that is defensively [or] offensively,” Williams told Bulls dot com’s Sam Smith. “I think the roles are going to change throughout the season as they always do. It’s a long season, so I’m ready for whatever my role will be. I’m taking it on full speed.”
Last season, we were not quite sure if Williams could fill a worthwhile role on the offensive end of the court. He still has plenty of strides to make on the end in terms of his execution, but this performance showed us that he’s in the right mindset to take a step toward being the high-level two-way talent the Bulls front office saw on draft night. For Arturas Karnisovas and Bulls fans, that’s about all we can ask for right now.
Relive Williams’ best Summer League game below:
