CHICAGO (670 The Score) – In a demotion that felt inevitable, Bulls coach Billy Donovan removed power forward Patrick Williams from the starting lineup Friday in just the sixth game of the season for the team.
The choice paid off in the form of Williams showing more signs of life in his performance, but the Bulls still suffered a 109-107 loss to the Nets at the United Center to drop to 2-4. Williams posted season-highs of 10 points and five rebounds while shooting 4-of-6 in 21 minutes. He had gone scoreless in two of the Bulls’ previous three games and entered the evening shooting 26.7%. Forward Torrey Craig moved into his starting spot.
Afterward, the 22-year-old Williams put the burden completely on himself when asked what environment he needs to take the next step and thrive after losing his starting job.
“The one we’ve had,” Williams said. “I completely have the support of my teammates, the coaches. That’s all you can ask for, to be honest. Obviously, it kind of sucks when you’re not playing the way that you want to play, but I think I’ve kind of spoke to that to you guys just about taking that challenge of how are you when you’re not playing well? What kind of teammate are you? What’s your body language like? Are you sitting and sulking or are you trying to create a solution and still be effective for the team? That’s kind of how I looked at it – as a challenge in who can I be when I’m going through a tough stretch?”
Donovan moved Williams to the bench not just because of his struggles but the “totality” of how the Bulls were starting games, as he put it. Williams being moved to the second unit isn’t anything new, as he also lost his starting spot in the latter part of last season.
When asked if the move can light a fire in him, Williams responded, “I always carry a chip on my shoulder,” but his demeanor wasn’t fiery in any way. Williams accepted it as what’s best for the team, taking it in a “professional” manner, Donovan said.
“It’s a simple game,” Williams said. “Just play, try not to think about anything. Don’t think about starting or not starting. Just make the plays when they’re there … Try to slow down and make good reads. That was pretty much it.”
Friday also marked the Bulls’ first game in the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament, a competition that will crown a champion in December after four pool-play games and then a knockout round that features eight teams. The Bulls played on a special red court to mark the occasion, but they’ll now face an uphill climb in the In-Season Tournament. The Bulls are in a group with the Nets, the Celtics, the Raptors and the Magic. Chicago will likely need to win its remaining three pool-play games to advance to the knockout round in December.
The Bulls had a chance to tie on multiple occasions late, but star guard Zach LaVine (24 points on 10-of-21 shooting) missed three shots to tie in the final 22 seconds. The final miss came on a 22-foot fallaway jumper just before the buzzer after LaVine corralled his own rebound after purposely missing a free throw.
“Still working at it, a work in progress,” LaVine said of the Bulls. “We look really good at times, and some other times I think we had some really ugly possessions too. We battled throughout it. We just have to figure out a way to win the game at the end.”
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.