Chicago Bulls continue to look for consistency from Patrick Williams

"He's got to be way more aggressive in some areas."

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls continue to wait for Patrick Williams’ switch to turn on and stay on this season. Although the young forward has had flashes of brilliance, that’s all they’ve been — flashes. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has continued reiterating his belief in Williams and is hopeful he will turn the corner sooner rather than later.

“He's got to be way more aggressive in some areas,” Donovan said.

Quick pull

In the Bulls’ preseason game versus the Toronto Raptors, Donovan yanked Williams from the game in favor of Torrey Craig a little under three minutes after the opening tip. The Bulls coach explained that Williams needs to assert himself in the game and not shy away from the physicality.

“I just thought there were a lot of opportunities for him to get to the backboard and offensive rebound,” Donovan said. “We talked about it. And I just didn't like the way we came out. It's not about him missing or making shots or being aggressive. I think athletically, there are things he can get in.”

Donovan added that locking into the little things could make Williams a heck of a player in this league.

“Like, there was an opportunity on one of the first possessions where he could've laid a really good screen. And he tried to slip out of it. We can't run away from physicality. You're going to have to lean into it.”

Patrick Williams with 10 points on 4/6 shooting, 2/3 on 3s in the first quarter

Glad to see him shooting the ball well, but still want to see him get into the paint a bit more, draw some fouls and generate some assist opportunities pic.twitter.com/tiEJE0QdZd

— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) October 16, 2023

Got the message

Williams heard Donovan loud and clear and responded in the second half. Although he had a sub-par shooting night, making just 4-of-13 from the field, his aggressiveness was noteworthy.

“As the game wore on, and certainly in the fourth quarter, I thought he was way more aggressive trying to go to the backboard and trying to get to the rim on finishes,” Donovan said. “He took his shots when they were there. That was good.”

“Hopefully, these are learning experiences for him. Certainly, he has shown he can do it. We've got to find a way to continually get that pulled out of him,” Donovan added.

Will Patrick Williams hold off Torrey Craig for the starting power forward spot?