{"id":1362,"date":"2024-10-28T21:42:24","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T21:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=1362"},"modified":"2024-10-28T21:42:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T21:42:24","slug":"patrick-williams-still-is-seeking-an-nba-identity-in-year-5-can-he-keep-up-with-the-chicago-bulls-faster-pace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=1362","title":{"rendered":"Patrick Williams still is seeking an NBA identity in Year 5. Can he keep up with the Chicago Bulls\u2019 faster pace?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

There\u2019s a version of Patrick Williams that can single-handedly elevate an NBA team from good to great.<\/p>\n

Or, at the least, from decent to good. From a loss to a win. The Chicago Bulls saw that effect in full force in the fourth quarter of Friday\u2019s surprising victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, their only win of the season entering Monday night\u2019s game in Memphis.<\/p>\n

Williams had taken only four shots through three quarters Friday, scoring three points in a meager offensive performance as he funneled most of his energy into slowing Giannis Antetokounmpo as much as possible.<\/p>\n

But Williams resuscitated the Bulls offense in the final quarter, driving to the rim and sinking a deep 3-pointer to deliver a final jolt in a 133-122 win.<\/p>\n

That 11-minute stretch showed how Williams can affect the game on both ends of the court. And the sudden offensive surge flipped the switch for his teammates, activating a crucial part of the new-look Bulls offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he\u2019s creating for us, when he\u2019s taking his shots, it changes our team completely,\u201d center Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 said. \u201cHe obviously has to get comfortable within the offense and he missed a lot of time last year as well, so just getting his feet under himself. But, man, when he plays like this, our team is completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bulls have seen these sporadic flashes for the better part of four years. Williams is the most efficient 3-point shooter on the roster and hands down the best defender in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n

But his perceived meekness \u2014 on and off the ball \u2014 has been a source of frustration for Bulls fans, his soaring potential offset by an inability to deploy his skills with consistent aggressiveness.<\/p>\n

Entering the 2024-25 season, coach Billy Donovan knew he had to be patient again. Williams was heavily limited this summer after missing the end of last season to undergo foot surgery. He played his first five-on-five minutes in September and was held out of significant parts of training camp.<\/p>\n

But after signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension in June, this is the year for Williams to define himself more concretely \u2014 both on the Bulls and in the NBA at large.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to him a lot about this\u2014 he has to create an identity for himself,\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n

\"Patrick
The Bulls\u2019 Patrick Williams is fouled as he drives between the Bucks\u2019 Delon Wright and Bobby Portis during the second half Oct. 25, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo\/Morry Gash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the Bulls drafted him with the No. 4 pick in 2020, Williams\u2019 physicality always has jumped off the page. At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, he\u2019s both athletically explosive and almost deceptively lengthy with the ability to switch defensively onto practically any position.<\/p>\n

But despite his imposing frame, Williams doesn\u2019t play bully ball. He prefers finesse over physicality, hunting floaters rather than dunks. There\u2019s a reason former teammate DeMar DeRozan challenged Williams to get called for a charge last season \u2014 Williams still doesn\u2019t like to seek out bodies.<\/p>\n

And this disparity between expectations based on his body and his actual physical presence on the court is at the center of the frustration that has followed Williams since his rookie year.<\/p>\n

Williams still doesn\u2019t have the balance to haul a defender along on a drive from the perimeter to the rim. A savvy defender can bump him off his center of gravity pretty quickly, which leads to the ball getting dribbled off his foot or picked up too early. And despite his physical profile, Williams sees the bulk of his offensive identity flowing through the midrange.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always shot a good percentage from there,\u201d Williams told the Tribune. \u201cThat\u2019s where I kind of feel the most comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams always has preferred to sit back from the restricted area rather than forcing finishes from close range. This season he hopes to capitalize on the higher volume of drives to the rim by teammates such as Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu to float off as a kick-out option. As a result of this spacing, his offensive rebounds (1.7 per game) lag behind fellow bigs Vu\u010devi\u0107 and Jalen Smith.<\/p>\n

Donovan wants Williams to understand his gifts \u2014 but he also wants Williams to push himself to play beyond them. Too often, Donovan believes Williams is eager to delay and take extra dribbles that lead to difficult contested shots in the final seconds of a possession.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s athletic enough and gifted enough \u2014 that\u2019s (his) gift,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cThat\u2019s a late clock gift. There are some guys, late clock, you put the ball in their hands, they can\u2019t get a shot off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can get a shot off late in the clock. So that\u2019s great \u2014 but he\u2019s got to get the right shots off from 24 seconds down to seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams also struggles to routinely take a high volume of shots. He averages 8.7 attempts per game, the fewest of any starter. An important piece of Williams\u2019 identity on the court always has been efficient decision-making that leads to assists, offensive rebounds and high-quality shots.<\/p>\n

But Donovan thinks the low volume of attempts also comes from a risk aversion created by poor decision-making at the point of attack, which leads Williams to bail on plays. That could worsen as the Bulls emphasize a fast-paced style this season in an effort to create more defensive rotation and scrambled close-outs from their opponents.<\/p>\n

The faster pace often has left Williams behind early this season. Some of his lagging might be due to conditioning after a summer of injury rehab. But Donovan fears the fifth-year forward still is struggling to assert himself into plays with authority, playing a reactive style rather than pushing for proactiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got to put himself in more possessions,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cThere are times where the ball is coming down the floor and Coby may have it or Ayo could have it. He\u2019s got to get out and get up ahead of the ball so we can throw it to him. When you\u2019re trailing the play all the time, you can\u2019t get in the play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last season was framed as a crucial year for Williams heading into his first summer of free agency. Locking down a five-year deal should give a player confidence he has proved himself in the greater scheme of a team\u2019s plans. But the pressure never quite has let up for Williams \u2014 and this year\u2019s recalibration to focus on the long term will only heighten those stakes.<\/p>\n

Can Williams keep up with the changing times in Chicago? The answer will be pivotal to the future of the young core driving the next generation of Bulls basketball.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bulls have seen sporadic flashes from Patrick Williams for the better part of four years. But his perceived meekness has been a source of frustration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\nPatrick Williams still is seeking an NBA identity in Year 5. 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