When training camp opens up on Tuesday, the Chicago Bulls should have their new $90 million man on the floor.
A report from earlier this month raised concerns about Patrick Williams’ health. The former No. 4 overall pick is coming off a season-ending foot injury that required surgery. According to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry, while with teammates at their mini-camp in Florida this offseason, Williams experienced discomfort in his foot and needed extra rest.
Fortunately, when asked about his current status at Monday’s Media Day, Arturas Karnisovas painted a far better picture regarding Williams’ availability.
“He’s ready to go,” Karnisovas told reporters. “He’s been playing five-on-five. Again, we’ll use this training camp to bring him up slowly. We haven’t seen him play in a game in quite some time. He’s going to be in drills, he’s going to be in contact, he’s going to play five-on-five.”
Considering foot injuries can have a tendency to linger, we’ll still have to keep a close eye on Wiliams over the next handful of weeks as he ramps up. Nevertheless, the fact he’s good to go right from the start of training camp is overwhelmingly positive, particularly when we factor in the bigger role he’s supposed to take on this year.
Chicago has made clear with both their actions and words that this season is largely about player development. For Williams, that will mean an opportunity to play a far more significant role on the offensive. Establishing a level of scoring responsibility and encouraging aggressiveness on that end of the court are crucial parts of training camp.
Not to mention, Williams has several new teammates he will have to build a rapport with. Jalen Smith will be a fresh running mate in the frontcourt, while Josh Giddey will play a pivotal role in setting Williams up for success offensively. The more time everyone can spend on the floor together over the next few weeks, the better things will look come late October.
Speaking of which, Patrick Williams may need to wait a few practices for Josh Giddey to be a full participant …