(670 The Score) As the Bulls have hit a three-game losing skid, rookie forward Patrick Williams has been the forgotten man on the offensive end.
Williams has scored just six total points in the Bulls' past three games, over which he has averaged just shy of 27 minutes per contest. It marks the fewest points Williams has scored in any three-game stretch in his debut season.
Williams had four points at Atlanta last Friday, went scoreless at Minnesota on Sunday and had two points at Memphis on Monday, when Chicago desperately needed offense in a 101-90 setback. The 19-year-old Williams is a combined 3-of-10 from the field and hasn't gotten to the free-throw line in his last 79 minutes of action.
So what's going on? The Bulls don't have the exact answer, though coach Billy Donovan has his theories and believes Williams is playing the right way.
Part of the reason for Williams' lack of production can be traced to the Bulls revamping their offense after the acquisition of All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline. The Bulls are 3-7 since they acquired Vucevic, who's averaging 21.8 points and attempting 17.7 field-goal attempts with Chicago.
Williams averaged 10.3 field-goal attempts in Vucevic's first three games with the Bulls but has taken a backseat lately, averaging just 5.3 field-goal attempts in the last seven contests. The question is whether Williams should be involved more as a third option behind Vucevic and star guard Zach LaVine.
"He tries to play the right way," Donovan said late Sunday after the loss to the Timberwolves. "The ball is going to go through Vooch quite a bit. Zach is going to have the ball in his hands. He's going to be a recipient off those guys. I think he tries to play within himself. I respect that about him. When you get a guy who tries to be aggressive when it's not there, it's tough. He tried to put it down, tried to get to his mid-range. He tried to take it to the basket. I put him up top in the pick-and-roll in the fourth (Sunday), and he lost it at the top. We're trying to do some things for him to be aggressive and utilize his skill set. But I also don't want him being aggressive and attack the basket and not read the defense and make the right basketball play."
Williams has often found himself stationary in the corner of the Bulls' offense recently. He has displayed the ability to cut to the rim and finish strong at various times throughout the season, but that hasn't happened as often lately. The potential is there, as Vucevic is a solid passer out of the post and at the top of the key when the Bulls play through him there, but Williams hasn't found his openings.
A fair portion of the responsibility also falls on Williams to be more aggressive. Donovan acknowledged that when pressed, as a reporter noted recognizing individual opportunities and punishing mismatches is part of being a team player.
"Absolutely," Donovan said Monday night. "But when he goes and drives the ball and he can't get to the basket, what do you expect him to do? Like, I don't love him trying to rise up and shoot over guys at 15, 17 feet and them hanging on him on non-paint twos. He's going to have to get it inside the framework, out of transition, maybe some offensive rebounds or some of those things. But he has all the freedom in the world to be as aggressive as he possibly wants to be. But I do think he's the kind of player that is going to try to play the right way. No one is necessarily holding him back or telling him not to shoot or make plays. But when he does get the ball and tries to put it down and gets shut off, he's trying to make plays. I do agree with you there were a couple times tonight where he passed it and it led to a turnover where he probably (wanted) to try to take it all the way or be more aggressive.
"I'm not worried about Patrick. He's 19 years old. He has played an enormous amount of games. This is our fourth game in five nights. I don't speak for him, but I'm sure there is a lot on his plate right now that he's dealing with. For anyone to expect him at 19 years old to be taking over NBA games, I think it's probably a little bit of a stretch right now. He's going to have some good moments and some bad ones. I don't think he's evolved into that kind of player. I hope somebody he'll evolve into that. He's not that right now."
Williams is averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.0% from 3-point range in 28.5 minutes in 52 games, all which have been starts.
"He's going through some ups and downs," LaVine said. "It's tough because we got all these new pieces, and everybody is trying to find their way. I was talking to him. I haven't really looked into it too much, but his spirit, he looks fine. He's acting normal still. He's not letting it affect his defense. He's going through a little bit of a slump, so we'll be there to support him."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
