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"To be honest I haven't had many good days" - Patrick Williams on lingering ankle injury

Williams is having struggles dealing with his ankle injury.

Nick Raguz

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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After playing in all 82 regular season games last season, Patrick Williams' fourth year has been riddled with setbacks. Whether it’s his inconsistent role or play, Williams has yet to make the all-important leap that is expected from a high draft pick. 

But perhaps the biggest hurdle for Williams has been his lingering ankle injury. The 22-year-old admitted the injury had limited his movements and affected his confidence on the court.

Not many good days

Williams has missed three games already this season and shared that while there are times he’s pushing through the injury, there are days when he can’t make normal basketball movements like jumping and cutting.

“To be honest, I haven’t had many good days,” Williams said.

“It’s just more of, ‘Can I play through it? Is this a feeling that I can play through or not?’ Can I cut? Can I jump? That’s pretty much the feel I’m trying to get, whether it’s pregame, practice, or whatever the case may be.”

While the NBA is at a point in the season where most players are going through some sort of injury, it’s clear that Williams’ ankle woe is causing him more trouble than expected.

“Can I cut? Can I move? Hopefully, the answer is always yes, but there’s times where, ‘Ah, I can’t really move and cut, or jump the way I’m used to,’” Williams added.

Affecting his play

In his last six appearances, Williams is averaging only 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. With All-Star guard Zach LaVine slated to miss at least a few weeks due to an ankle sprain, Williams was slotted into the starting lineup and delivered 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block, and more will be expected out of the fourth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Zach LaVine to miss 1-2 weeks due to a sprained ankle

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Nick Raguz
NICK RAGUZ

Nick's journey has been an exciting fusion of basketball and the written word. A former basketball player himself, he possesses an insatiable appetite for all things NBA-related, spanning from the captivating tales of old-school NBA to intriguing statistics and the latest updates from the association.

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