Patrick Williams played his best game of the young season in the Chicago Bulls’ 106-88 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
And if you think you heard that recently, it’s because you did---on Tuesday night after he did the same in a road victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Stringing together impactful performances is what growing and developing in the NBA is all about. And Williams is starting to make his presence felt on a nightly basis.
“You feel him out there physically,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I like the way he’s rolling to the basket. I like the way he’s defending. I like the way he’s getting his body into plays, the way he’s rebounding. He’s running the floor harder. He’s going after the ball. He’s making plays.
“He’s always been an unselfish, smart player. He has good skill level and vision. But athletically, he’s getting his talent into the game. He’s been assertive and aggressive. Those are decisions I think he realized he had to do not only to help himself but to help the team.”
By now, it’s well documented that Williams is a team-first player whose first instinct is to defer. The third-year forward has talked openly about the difficulties of playing alongside alpha scorers in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
On the flip side, Donovan and his coaching staff have hammered home---through film sessions and lengthy talks---how players can impact the game without scoring. Exhibit A? Javonte Green, who enters games and consistently tries to deflect every pass defensively and dunk everything he touches offensively.
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That’s why Williams’ impact on Wednesday moved past his season-high 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. His five rebounds and two blocks also didn’t tell the entire story.
From a layup and dunk to score the Bulls’ first four points to a hockey assist off a left-handed pass from a live dribble in the second quarter to a bullet pass in transition for a Green dunk in the fourth, Williams played with purpose and made decisive decisions.
“Just playing with more energy,” Williams said. “When you play with energy, the ball finds you. You knock down open shots. You may miss a couple but you’re going to get a couple more.
“I try to hang my hat on being versatile, being able to do multiple things. I think I sell myself short if I don’t. I try to make whatever play is necessary.”
Here’s how good Williams’ night proved: Instead of talking about the difficult and deferential aspect of playing alongside DeRozan and LaVine, he called the experience “really fun”---with a qualifier.
“Playing with All-Stars is really fun when you get the hang of it,” Williams said.
Williams is getting the hang of it because he looks inward. And because he has a coaching staff that continually reminds him of his importance and his goals.
“I think it’s something that I always knew. And my teammates and coaches always knew. That’s kind of why they were so on me. If they didn’t think I could do it, they wouldn’t be on me,” Williams said. “Credit to those guys for keeping me uplifted.
“For me, I felt I was going to figure it out. To get to the NBA, I think I’m just a figure-it-out-type of player. Situations didn’t always fit me or situations weren’t always perfect. It never is. You gotta figure it out. I think I learned a lot from the position I’m in.”
Donovan reiterated the well-worn points of how atypical Williams’ first two seasons in the NBA have been. After coming off the bench in his lone season at Florida State, the pandemic robbed Williams of summer league and training camp. Suddenly, he found himself matched against elite players ranging from LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kevin Durant.
Following that second-team All-Rookie season, Williams fractured his wrist following a Mitchell Robinson flagrant foul and missed most of his second season.
“I get everyone wants to see this progression. But in fairness to him, he hasn’t had a normal two-year NBA schedule like a lot of guys have had. It’s taken him some time,” Donovan said. “And every player develops and evolves at a different rate.”
Another Exhibit A? Lauri Markkanen, who is lighting it up early this season on his third team in Utah.
Williams remains just 21 years old.
“He’s extremely young. He’s obviously very gifted and talented. And he’s gotten better,” Donovan said. “It’s good to see him take some jumps as a player. And I would say as much as we’ve talked to him and showed him film, he’s been the one internally who is trying to bring it out of himself. That’s good to see.”