With Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan having the night off, an opportunity came knocking for Patrick Williams.
The Chicago Bulls’ 2020 No. 4-overall pick found himself thrown into the second unit after an underwhelming preseason debut. However, back in the starting lineup tonight with plenty of shots for the taking, Williams started to make his presence felt.
Not only did Williams toss up 10 shots in his first 14 minutes of action, but he sank five of them to go along with 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Even better, six of his quick 11 points came on three angry-looking jams.
First came the easy feed from Caruso …
Then, the elevation as the roll man …
And, finally, a poster off the dribble …
I think it’s safe to say The Paw is trying to make a statement.
The question now is what impact this performance might have on his head coach, and whether or not he can carry this momentum into the start of the regular season. While he may not get this volume of shots in the coming weeks, this is the kind of player the Bulls need Williams to be.
The team is trying to run a more “random” and “free-flowing” offense this year, which means spacing the floor and relying heavily on off-ball movement and hard cuts. As long as Williams can screen and move with purpose, the opportunities are going to be there for him to make some major noise. Let’s hope these highlights have helped him realize just that.