Patrick Williams has proven that the Chicago Bulls made the right pick during the 2020 NBA Draft.
When it was announced that the Chicago Bulls had drafted Patrick Williams with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, there was natural skepticism. Williams was one of the youngest prospects in the class, having just turned 19 years old, and was viewed as a player with a raw set of skills.
On top of that, Williams was coming off somewhat of an underwhelming freshman season at Florida State. During his lone season with the Seminoles, Williams averaged nine points and four rebounds on 45 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Considering there was no traditional pre-draft process either, there was a significant added risk in any pick. That equates to the Bulls taking a big chance at No. 4 by taking a player that had been otherwise unproven as a prospect.
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Nevertheless, the Bulls trusted their scouting department and went with the player they believed either fit the best on the team or was the best prospect available. With just a few games remaining in Williams’ rookie season, it’s tough to say that the pick hasn’t worked out for the Bulls.
Patrick Williams has paid off as a risk for the Chicago Bulls
Williams has started every game he’s played in this season for the Bulls (56 games played) and is posting better numbers than he did in college. Williams is averaging 9.3 points and five rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range.
You can make an argument that Williams has been a better player for the Bulls than he was in college and the fact that he’s barely scratching the surface on his potential has to be an extremely encouraging sign for both Williams individually and for the Bulls moving forward.
Williams is still only 19 years old and has shown a baseline of a good rotational two-way player. With his size, raw ability, and athleticism, the ceiling for Williams is sky-high. Especially after such a good rookie year.
There are still defined development steps that Williams will have to take over the next few seasons. For one, he certainly has to be more aggressive and find his consistent game on the offensive end.
He’s been efficient this season and a lot of that is due to his careful shot selection – he’s only attempting 7.6 overall shots per game (two of them from 3-point land). It’ll be interesting to see how that develops over the next couple of seasons, or even if that volume increases heading into next year.
When discussing the best rookies or rookie of the year candidates, it’s unlikely that many will even bring up Williams’ name. However, there are no questions or skepticism regarding this pick anymore. Chicago might have the best rookie that no one seems to be talking about in the NBA this season.
We likely won’t see Williams at his peak anytime soon, but there were encouraging signs peppered throughout his rookie season. The Bulls, despite initial skepticism, have been proven right with their decision with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.