Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley says Patrick Williams is in for a big year

With the confidence of the Chicago Bulls’ GM behind him, it looks like Patrick Williams breakout season is around the corner.

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls have been patiently waiting for young forward Patrick Williams to turn a corner and make the leap from rotation piece to up-and-coming star. The team’s general manager, Marc Eversley, is optimistic that this upcoming season could be the one in which the former Florida State star puts it all together.

Flashes of brilliance

After a promising rookie season was followed by an injury-riddled one, the powerfully-built Williams showed flashes of what he can do in his third campaign. He played in all 82 games, averaging 10.2 points and 4 rebounds. He also showed he can dig in defensively, producing nearly a steal and a block per game.

During his appearance on the Bulls Talk podcast, Eversley said the key lies in Williams becoming more consistent.

“He has shown flashes over the first three years. I want to see him show more instances of flashes, more consistent,” Eversley said.

“He’s got it in him. A lot of that comes with growth off of the court. And I can tell you he’s starting to grow. He’s starting to get it. It’s starting to click. And when he puts it together—and he will put it together—we might have something special.”

Crucial season

Eversley added that the upcoming season is critical for Williams in that he must continue to develop his game while also supporting the “Big 3” which includes DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. He began the year as a starter before getting bumped to a reserve role down the stretch. Time will tell if coach Billy Donovan will return him to the starting five. Regardless of what role he’s in, Williams will need to continue to make the most of his minutes.

“I think it’s a really important year for Patrick, one as a player and two as somebody in our locker room to kind of complement those guys. We’ve talked a lot about people fitting in with those three. I think Patrick is going to be challenged with the same thing. But I think this year is the year where he really needs to step it up and figure it out,” Eversley said.