(670 The Score) One day before their season opener, the last question mark in the Bulls’ starting lineup has been answered.
Patrick Williams will start at power forward when Chicago visits Miami on Wednesday, coach Billy Donovan told reporters Tuesday afternoon. Williams’ role had been up in the air as he scuffled in a couple preseason games and Javonte Green had a terrific showing. The Bulls had also mixed up the starting power forward spot in their four preseason games as they took a look at different five-man combinations.
After extended thought, Donovan and the Bulls went the direction most expected all along, with Williams joining Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Ayo Dosunmu in the starting lineup. Dosunmu earned the starting point guard job with Lonzo Ball expected to be out for an extended period after undergoing left knee surgery in late September.
"I just want Patrick to be himself,” Donovan said, according to NBC Sports Chicago. “I think he's an important ingredient to our team. I think he can really, really help us. There's also parts of Patrick where we even get him staggered into the second unit some.”
Williams started all 71 games that he played as a rookie in the 2020-’21 season. He was then the team’s starting power forward to open the 2021-’22 season before a severe wrist injury that he suffered early on sidelined him for months. Williams then closed the season in the starting lineup as well as the Bulls exited in the first round of the playoffs.
The main reason the change was being weighed is because Williams has failed to assert himself consistently. He averaged 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 52.9% from the field in 17 games last season.
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