Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams’ loss will test Bulls’ depth
The Chicago Bulls’ depth will be tested after the injury sustained to Patrick Williams.
Through the first week and a half of the season, not much had gone wrong for the Chicago Bulls. However, in a loss to the New York Knicks on primetime television Thursday night, all of that changed.
Not only did the Bulls lose their first game of the season, but they also lost Patrick Williams for the season after he suffered a bad wrist injury.
"[via ESPN]Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams will undergo surgery to repair a dislocated left wrist and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, sources told ESPN."
After an impressive rookie season, there was hope that Williams could emerge as a key part of the Bulls’ rotation this season. Even though the offseason additions of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball would limit his role to a certain extent, his defensive versatility and athleticism are certainly something that the team will desperately miss this season.
Before his injury, Williams was averaging seven points on 56 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
It’s unclear how the Bulls will look to replace him in the starting 5. Though, it wouldn’t be surprising if Chicago shopped for a potential stopgap before the trade deadline this season. Williams isn’t a player whose impact was entirely shown or reflected on the stat sheet but surely an impactful player that will be missed.
Williams was the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft after leaving Florida State after his freshman season.
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There’s a chance that Williams could return for the playoffs at the end of the season, but it’s way too early to place those types of expectations on his recovery when he hasn’t even had surgery yet. Nevertheless, the Bulls will have to prove that their depth can survive this hit to even make the playoffs in the first place.