Bulls' Billy Donovan angers fans with 'aggressive' Patrick Williams take
Yesterday at 09:56 AM
The Chicago Bulls were hoping former No. 4 pick Patrick Williams would take a leap forward after signing him to a five-year, $90 million contract this past offseason. Instead, Williams has gone backward and is currently suffering through the worst season of his career. Saturday night only brought more disappointment, with Williams scoring just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in an ugly 109-97 loss to a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has tried to show support for Williams by keeping him in the starting lineup despite his struggles, but the coach was blunt after Saturday’s game.
"I think he's trying to be aggressive. He just hasn't converted well,” Donovan said, per CHSN’s K.C. Johnson.
“Hasn’t converted well” is putting it lightly. Williams is shooting a career-worst 37.0% overall and 35.5% from 3-point range. The 23-year-old is shooting a truly appalling 38.6% on 2-pointers this season and has been one of the worst finishers in the NBA, infamously missing a number of dunks.
Williams’ brutal season has Bulls fans frustrated with both the player and the coach. The replies to Johnson’s post show fans calling for both Williams’ benching and Donovan’s firing. While Donovan certainly deserves some blame for Williams’ lack of development, it’s not the coach’s fault that his player all of a sudden is bricking a bunch of dunks and layups and can’t effectively dribble.
Patrick Williams remains defiant
While Patrick Williams has been a disaster this season, he’s still trying to put on a confident face. When asked about his confidence level after Saturday’s loss, Williams claimed “I got game” and added even this: “I know what I’ve done in this league. My teammates know. My coaches know. That’s why they’re so on me. Nobody wants it more than me. I guarantee you that. If I had answers, it would be fixed already. All I know is work. That’s what got me here. Work through it.”
Williams can’t really say anything else, but this is going to fall on deaf ears as fans watch the same thing over and over. The Bulls forward has always shown flashes in his career, but he has never put it all together to take that big step forward. His inconsistency from game to game has actually made him quite consistent when it comes to his box score stats over a full season.
Injuries haven’t helped matters either, but the excuses are running out with rookie Matas Buzelis waiting in the wings. The Bulls paid Williams handsomely to be a key part of the future, but right now he looks like he shouldn’t even be in the league. Williams trade rumors popped up recently, and it may be best for all parties involved to make a deal so he can get a fresh start.
The post Bulls’ Billy Donovan angers fans with ‘aggressive’ Patrick Williams take appeared first on ClutchPoints.
