Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley believes Patrick Williams is going in the right direction

The Chicago Bulls GM has high hopes for the young forward.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley knows they have a gem on their hands in young forward Patrick Williams. And although the 21-year-old has shown flashes of on-court brilliance, Eversley believes he just needs more time to develop his skills on the floor and his mindset off of it.

Physical specimen

At 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, the former Florida State star has the physical assets to hang with the best of them in the Association. The Bulls’ brain trust certainly noted that when they selected him fourth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. And while there have been some rough patches in his young journey in the NBA—a wrist injury derailed his second season—Williams has shown the potential to become an elite two-way player in the league.

“I think he’s got all the physical aspects that you would want in a starting power forward in the NBA. He’s a wonderful athlete. He’s a great defender. He shoots it at a high clip from 3. He can put it on the deck. He can finish at the rim,” Eversley said.

Development off the court

Eversley, though, said that being a successful player in the NBA also entails some off-court work. This includes developing maturity and a voice inside a locker room chock-full of decorated veterans like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic.

“As he matures as a human being, when he starts to apply those skill sets that he learns as a human being onto the court with him — being more assertive, being more vocal, not being afraid to challenge the norm, having a voice in the locker room — that’s when I’ll really get excited about who Patrick Williams is and what he can become. And I think he’s making strides toward that,” Eversley continued.