It wouldn’t be Chicago Bulls training camp without some lingering injury concerns.
With Media Day only a week away and team workouts commencing one day later, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry delivered a frustrating Patrick Williams update. The 23-year-old forward’s availability for the beginning of the season remains in the air after a slight setback in his recovery this offseason.
“But Williams experienced discomfort during the team’s minicamp in Miami and required additional rest in recent weeks,” Mayberry wrote. “His availability is the biggest unknown in the short term. Long-term, the setback forces one to wonder whether Williams will be able to assemble a breakout season given his lengthy layoff. He last appeared in a game on Jan. 25 and hasn’t played much five-on-five since.”
Excited for the season yet?
You can read Mayberry’s full article on The Athletic here. It has tons of great tidbits.
Patrick Williams’ Injury
To be clear, the team minicamp Darnell Mayberry mentions happened a month ago in Florida. Many of the Bulls players – including (shockingly) Zach LaVine – met for some chemistry-building and regular-season preparation. So while it’s possible the rest in recent weeks allows him to begin training camp in October at full speed, it sure doesn’t bode well that he’s already dealt with some on-court discomfort.
Williams only appeared in 43 games last season. Technically, he played his last game of the year on January 25, but the Bulls didn’t officially shut down the former No. 4 overall pick until almost one month later – citing the progression of the stress injury in his left foot. Yes, in typical Chicago Bulls fashion, it took them far too long to realize that Williams should undergo season-ending surgery.
As I noted at the time, foot injuries are terrifying. These issues have a tendency to linger, particularly for players with a bigger build. Now, did I expect a 23-year-old Williams would still be experiencing issues seven months later? No, but I can’t necessarily say I’m shocked when we consider where the injury is located.
If Williams does have to miss time to begin the year, I suppose it’s not the biggest deal in a season that isn’t focused on the win-loss column. At the same time, this season is very much focused on player development, and Williams was handed a lofty five-year, $90.0 million contract this summer to be a crucial building block.
The expectation is that Williams becomes a far more consistent part of the Bulls’ game plan on both ends of the floor. However, the less time he can spend on the court in training camp and at the beginning of the season, the longer it’ll take to put this into effect. Not to mention, the longer it’ll take to evaluate how he fits alongside several of these new pieces.
We also can’t forget that Alex Caruso’s departure leaves Patrick Williams as arguably the roster’s best defensive player. There are already some major concerns about how the Bulls will manage on this end of the floor with a potential starting lineup of Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Zach LaVine. Remove Williams’ ability to guard the opposing team’s best wing and help protect the rim, and things could become increasingly ugly.
I guess all we can do now is wait for a Media Day update. Unfortunately, knowing this organization, I expect them to be rather coy about Williams’ health and availability to begin the season. Perhaps Williams himself can provide a bit more insight when he speaks with reporters, but I don’t like the taste of this situation at all.