Patrick Williams Is Slowly Becoming A Defensive Playmaker For The Bulls
Can the third-year forward sustain what has been an impressive 2023 season as a rim protector and general nuisance on defense?
If you look back at my 2020 NBA Draft Big Board, I had Williams rated in the 20s but it wasn’t for a lack of belief. He possessed all the tools to be a defensive stopper at the NBA level but in college acted as more of a jack-of-trades who filled the gaps for a defensively devastating Florida State team.
Williams — at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan and strong 220+ lb. body — projected to be able to guard primary scorers and at the very least, provide some great weakside rim protection acting as the lone big on the floor or alongside another big.
In Year 3 — really Year 2 considering Williams missed most of last season — it appears Williams may be turning a corner in terms of defensive recognition or at least, defensive activity. He has almost doubled his block rate from last season (up to 3.3%) and is averaging 0.6 steals and 1.0 block per game in just under 28 minutes a night.
Williams — like any young player — has many things he can improve on, starting with being a greater threat on the offensive and defensive glass. When he uses his large frame to grab rebounds and fight to contests shots in the paint, it’s easy to see how Williams can be an impact defender as long as the effort is there every night.
At the time of this writing, the Bulls have strung together three wins in a row, possibly four ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Houston Rockets.
Over that Bulls three-game win streak, Chicago ranked in the top-five in opponent points in the paint, and led the league in (limiting) opponent points off turnovers and opponent fastbreak points. Williams’ fingerprints are all over those positive defensive marks in that brief span.
Along with bringing some solid help defense to the table, he has continued to take on the task of hounding elite scorers like Jayson Tatum in big matchups. Williams has yet to become anything near the player that Bulls faithful is hoping he can still become in the long run but this season is a major step in the right direction.
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