Chicago Bulls Draft: Fans must be patient with Patrick Williams
Chicago Bulls fans must be patient with their top pick.
The suspense is over for Chicago Bulls fans as the team drafted Florida State University’s Patrick Williams with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. While rumors circulated throughout the day about the Bulls’ intentions, no one knew for sure until commissioner Adam Silver announced the pick Wednesday night.
Once he did, fans took to Twitter and social media to express their opinions, with many being quite critical of the pick. Apparently, some do not want to give new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karinsovas, the benefit of the doubt.
Many people were likely turned off by the narrative that Williams is a high character, hard-working player who didn’t start for the Seminoles last year. In fairness to them, history has not given them much reason to be optimistic about their favorite team’s draft choices. However, this is a new regime and fans should give them time to show what they can do.
The same thing should be said of Williams. While he didn’t start last year, he was clearly the best player on the team along with fellow first-round pick Devin Vassell, and his coming off the bench was more a product of his coach’s preference than a reflection of his talent.
Speaking of his talent, he has it, along with upside, in droves. He just recently turned 19 years old and is already 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds. He’s athletically gifted and has all of the physical tools needed to be an elite defender in the NBA as well as an explosive scorer.
He does, however, need time to put it all together. This is where the hiring of new head coach Billy Donovan and his staff will be instrumental. If fans need further proof of his potential, look no further than the fact that the San Antonio Spurs, one of the league’s best organizations at identifying and developing talent, have been all over Williams for months.
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If an organization like the Spurs thinks so highly of Williams, fans should sit up and take note. The bottom line is despite a new regime in the Bulls organization, the turnaround will not happen overnight. It’s imperative that fans give both the front office, as well as Williams, time to develop.