The Chicago Bulls decided to change the structure of their team two years ago. They traded for Nikola Vucevic and signed DeMar DeRozan the following summer, creating a Big 3 of those two and Zach LaVine. Unfortunately, the Bulls have only won a single playoff game since then.
All three players are multi-time All-Stars capable of helping the Bulls put together a relatively competitive season. And while some begged them to blow up the roster this summer, Chicago decided to double down on their win-now plans, adding depth pieces and bringing back their core players. But none of that matters unless one player picks up the pace – Patrick Williams.
If the Bulls want to be the best version of themselves, Williams needs to reach his ceiling. But that just raises another question – what is Williams’ ceiling?
The 21-year-old forward just wrapped up an impressive season in which he appeared in all 82 games, starting 65 of them. He didn’t take any major statistical jumps, but his efficiency was amazing, and that’s why Chicago needs to lean on him more.
Obviously, LaVine and DeRozan are going to take care of the scoring on most nights, and Vucevic will deliver healthy contributions, too, but the Bulls can allow Williams to get more involved with his three-point shooting and athleticism.
Williams projects as a top-notch 3-and-D forward, and his defensive talent is clear. But if the Bulls want him to be at his best, they need to get him more involved on the offensive end.
Catch-and-shoot three-point opportunities may be the best way to do this (and it’d also help the Bulls’ three-point woes) while simultaneously not taking away from the rest of the team.
For Williams, increasing his shot volume by taking more threes could be the best-case scenario.
