Patrick Williams is setting Bulls fans up for the ultimate disappointment
Averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game isn’t exactly headline-worthy. Knocking down 55.6 percent of his shots and 36.4 percent from deep might raise an eyebrow—but then again, the NBA season isn’t even a week old.
Nonetheless, those marks, coupled with a stellar 8.7 net rating and a 4.7 plus/minus in just 22.7 minutes per game, are attention-grabbing. More importantly, they belong to none other than Patrick Williams. The same Patrick Williams who faded into anonymity after
Patrick Williams making his mark early
Aside from his efficient counting stats, Williams looks like a totally different player on the hardwood. He's aggressive, even feisty at times, and more comfortable letting it fly.
Billy Donovan has entrusted Williams to play the five in small-ball lineups, where he’s logged roughly 12 percent of his minutes this season. Averaging 4.0 rebounds per game isn’t exactly eye-catching. However, ranks fourth on the team in rebounding percentage and corrals 63.2 percent of available boards, with the average rebound coming 4.8 feet from the basket. These aren’t just loose balls falling into his hands—he’s battling bigs for them.
As for his growing comfort as a shooter, it isn’t as immediately noticeable as his rebounding. Williams is actually averaging fewer field-goal and three-point attempts than he did a season ago. Yet, a smaller share of his makes are coming off assists, and his dependence on corner triples has dipped. He’s taking more above-the-break threes — and perhaps most intriguing, they’re coming off the bounce. The 24-year-old is drilling 75.0 percent of his pull-up threes so far!
Williams just looks different… but wait… we've seen this before, right?
Promise, letdown, repeat
Last season, Williams stumbled out of the gate. He averaged just 7.4 points per game while shooting under 30 percent from the field in October. But in 10 games the following month, before being sidelined by injury, he found his rhythm, averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting over 40 percent from both the floor and beyond the arc. His strong play carried over after his return, but it cratered in January, ultimately leading to being benched in February.
A closer look at the season before last year's splits paints a telling picture. Once again in 2023–24, Williams stumbled out of the gate, peaked in December, and then went down with an injury in January.
It’s a continuous cycle, but this season, Williams is instead off to a strong start. Is it fair to expect a significant drop-off in November or December? Probably. He’s raised the Bulls fanbase’s hopes with his newfound assertiveness, but history suggests he may come crashing back down.
Optimism suggests his new role could pay dividends in the long run. Williams doesn’t have much pressure on him. He’s a six-year pro now, not a young player the coaching staff or front office is desperate to see develop. At $18 million per season, he may never fully live up to that value, but he’s proving to be a dependable rotation piece.
Some sustainability would be welcome, but for now, Williams is setting Bulls fans up for disappointment despite his stellar start. Here’s hoping he continues to prove us—and his doubters—wrong.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ promising cornerback takes major step to return from injury
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. has returned to practice from a nagging hamstring injury. Trice is the third player this year to have his 21-day window opened. The Steelers have five spots to use there.
If he is not activated by the end of the 21-day window, Trice will be out for the season.
Trice suffered a hamstring injury during the season last year that forced him to miss half the season. He missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his ACL. At the NFL Combine, general manager Omar Khan said the team liked Trice, but could not trust him given his injury history.
We really like Cory. The reality is that durability has been an issue and until durability is not an issue, you know, that’s a position that we, you know, we have to keep our eye on,” Khan said.
Trice was taking second-team reps and showing out once again, but his inability to stay healthy has forced him to miss far too much time for the Steelers to count on him.
Elevating his game is no concern, as Trice has done that multiple times in two training camps, but he simply has to stay healthy to carve out a role. If he is going to return, the Steelers will hope to see Trice stay healthy this time, and prove that he can be a contributor for them on the field.
