It wasn't that long ago that this writer hailed Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams as the Bulls' "most important asset." At the time of publishing, Williams was among the few Bulls with a positive differential on the defensive end. Furthermore, the 6-foot-8 forward was fresh off a 17-point, nine-assist game where he drilled four three-pointers.
Williams' best performance of the season came on November 15 in a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, the 23-year-old has appeared in four of 14 contests and averaged 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 24.2 percent from the floor.
Of course, the injury to Williams' surgically repaired foot was cause for concern, forcing the former lottery pick to miss a handful of games between his terrific performance against Cleveland and now. However, assessing Williams' games upon returning from injury further detracts from the "most important asset" argument.
Patrick Williams has struggled mightily this season
In Williams' most recent two games, he's averaged 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. The fourth-year pro has converted just 3-of-13 field goal attempts and missed all seven three-pointers. He's recorded a plus/minus of minus-19 upon returning from injury. The Bulls have been far worse with their starting forward on the court.
After being one of the few Bulls with a positive impact on the defensive end, he's now *down* to a plus-1.5 points per 100 possessions when on the floor. And on offense, Chicago is much worse whenever Williams hits the hardwood. The Bulls are an alarming 8.1 points per 100 possessions worse with the 6-foot-8 forward in tow.
It's been a disappointing campaign for the ascending young wing. He's averaging his least points per game since his sophomore season, yet he's averaging a career-high in field goal attempts. Despite a relatively similar usage rate to last season and the year prior, he's turning the ball over more frequently—1.8 times per contest and a 15.9 turnover percentage.
Chicago's decision to extend Williams is looking like a mistake
What was once an encouraging start to the season has derailed rather quickly. As briefly mentioned, the foot inflammation interrupted his statistical output. Nonetheless, Williams' injury history, combined with poor play has begun to make Chicago's decision to sign Williams to a five-year, $90 million deal inexcusable.
All in all, a flat rate of $18 million per season isn't the worst decision, but if Williams fails to improve, he'll become untradeable sooner rather than later. Chicago has already found it difficult to move Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. However, LaVine and Vucevic are better and much more accomplished than Williams. Both players are multi-time All-Stars and average north of 17-plus points per game for their careers.
While Williams still has youth on his side, the clock is ticking. The former fourth-overall pick has appeared in 230 games across four-plus seasons. In his rookie season, Williams averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from deep. This season, he's averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while converting 36.3 percent of his field goals and 35.9 percent of his triples. Coincidentally, the Bulls were also 8.1 points per 100 possessions worse offensively when Williams was on the floor as a rookie.
Instead of taking a 180, Williams has taken a 360. At 23 years old, he's seemingly back to square one, albeit playing on a brand-new extension. The Bulls likely will attempt to move on from Williams this season. Because if not, Chicago will be stuck with another disastrous contract for years to come.
There remains hope Williams will improve, especially if the Bulls trade LaVine or Vucevic this season and give the 6-foot-8 wing an expanded role. He's failed to take advantage of being a fourth or fifth option thus far. Despite possessing the prototypical size, athleticism, and marksmanship, there always seems to be a missing component to Williams' game.
