Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, won’t play in either game of the team’s back-to-back set on Thursday (in San Antonio) and Friday (vs. Indiana), tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Although Williams didn’t practice with the team on Wednesday, he did work out individually, according to head coach Billy Donovan, who said the 23-year-old’s window to potentially return opens next week.
Given that he has yet to practice, Williams may not be ready to go for Sunday’s game vs. Philadelphia, but the Bulls will have four days off after that before hosting the Hornets next Friday — it sounds like he could return for that contest.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- While he admits that his first 22 games this season have been “up and down,” Josh Giddey said he’s doing his best to help the Bulls in any way he can and isn’t thinking about trying to make the team look good for its decision to give up Alex Caruso for him over the summer, as Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic relays. “Anytime you get traded for a player like (Caruso), I mean, there was a lot of talk about it, whether it was a good trade or a bad trade,” Giddey said. “I don’t buy too much into that. I’m confident in myself and what I can do. These guys make it easy for me to play. I’m not trying to come in here and be anything more than myself. Find ways I can fit in and make this group better.”
- Coby White will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday due to a left ankle sprain, per Johnson (Twitter links), though Mayberry suggests White shouldn’t be out for an extended period. Another Bulls guard, Lonzo Ball, has been ruled out for Thursday’s game, according to Johnson, but that’s just a case of the team managing his usage in a back-to-back — the plan is to have him active on Friday against the Pacers.
- Coming off a season-ending injury, surrounded by trade rumors, and facing questions about the size of contract, Zach LaVine could easily have come into camp as a disgruntled star this fall, but the Bulls continue to be impressed by his positive attitude, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. LaVine told reporters on Wednesday that he’s “in a really good spot mentally,” which hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Billy Donovan. “Whatever his frustrations were, they were,” Donovan said. “But he’s been able to digest that, go through that himself mentally, and get to the place he is now. I really respect everything he’s done. … He’s in a really good headspace.”
- LaVine added that he’s enjoyed being called upon for more challenging defensive assignments this season, as Cowley notes. “This year has opened my eyes up a little bit to where you look at guys that I watched: Kobe (Bryant), Michael (Jordan), D-Wade (Dwyane Wade), and it’s like, ‘I’ve always been in great shape, but OK, you have to be in top-tier … strong too.'” LaVine said. “Yeah, it takes a little bit away (from the offense), but mentally that’s where you have to dig deep and see how much you want it. I like taking on those challenges right now.”
It took Zach LaVine 11 years in the league to realize that MJ, Kobe and Wade were great because they also played good defense (at least in their primes) and that he himself didn’t?
Take your time Pat. Much rather see buzelis and Phillips holding it down.
100% agree. None of them are true 4’s but it is probably much more entertaining to watch Phillips and Buzelis than Williams flail about like a bird with a broken wing. If the Bulls get a good enough draft pick to help Vujevic next year I’d keep Vuj for next year. The guy’s a 20/10 machine but he needs help. Unless they can get a decent 5 back for Vuj. Smith isn’t really a starting 5.
Imo, that would be part of the point of trading Vucevic. The Bulls don’t keep their draft pick if they aren’t in the Top 5, iirc, so they basically have to secure that spot at minimum to have a pick in this stacked draft. They need to rebuild. White, Giddey, Ayo, Buzelis, Smith, none of them are good enough to keep them out of that portion of the lottery without the help that LaVine and Vuc provide.
If they draft Derik Queen I will be very happy and excited for the future. We need a shot blocking, paint guy to help the defense especially when guys get beaten off the dribble.
Exact position of need, yup.
I just looked up Queen’s December stats and they are impressive.
(2 games)
37 points
20 rebs
2 blocks
12/19 FG’s
13/14 FT’s.
Looks very promising prospect. I am sold on him.
Those are certainly intriguing numbers. Another guy im keeping my eye on is khaman Maluach- his BAL numbers weren’t great, but if he has a strong year at duke, he would be a rly tantalizing fit.
What worries me for Maluach is, can he move around enough and be mobile on defense? He screams Thabeet to me. I think he would be more of a project than a plug and play. Queen I feel like will translate into today’s NBA game much better. They key is to grab a guy who can work alongside Buzelis and White. I’m not even sure if White will be extended after 2025-2026 season. They haven’t had a defensive big man since Noah was patrolling the paint.
Nobody is a plug and play at 19 yrs old. The draft today is all upside.
Al that is a HORRIBLE assessment. So you are telling me that Edwards/Paolo/Cunningham weren’t all plug and play from the 2020-2022 number 1 picks? Newsflash they all were 19 as well when they came out. You don’t pick guys in the top 5 to just have them sit. That is how franchises are run down to the ground. It also depends on the roster construction, I have very little faith that AKME will address a big man if they eventually trade Vu, via FA, so getting a guy like Queen and letting him start from Day 1 is probably the best option for the team next year.
Haven’t watched enough of either so will keep that in mind. I agree that nba-readiness would be v nice for a team that loves to take guys who lack that skill.
Yes on smith , and accurate pwill description uncle Mike – and agree w Eon, have to move vuc and Zach bc the east sucks so badly that at this rate bulls won’t get their pick.
Should be a vuc taker given his play this year, maybe GS, Memphis, Houston just off the top.
As for Zach, I’d take Dlo plus filler (Vincent Vanderbilt etc) w no picks, waive Dlo, and cut my losses. In this situation, Bulls should think of saving this years pick as getting a pick back for Zach.
But alas, id still bet on reinsdord trading no one, gobbling up revenue for a single play in game , and enjoying the loaded 2025 draft from the couch.
Top 10 protected pick
There are many NBA people who feel that Josh Giddey might be the worst perimeter defender in the league. OKC had to pull him off the floor. Bulls now many times don’t play him more than 25 minutes. Would have been better to take draft picks for Caruso. Giddey ain’t worth extending. Can’t guard anybody. Bulls fate was sealed when they convinced themselves that Patrick Williams was the next Kawhi Leonard. He turned out to be the opposite. They then traded Lauri Markkanan, so he wouldn’t “block” Williams. Proceeded to then acquire Vucevic, and in the process gave up the pick that became Franz Wagner. Comedy of errors. Are the Bulls really gonna let AK attempt another rebuild????
Polio Pat still showing he was never deserving of the $90M contract given to him. I get that you can’t undo a draft pick selection, but you could definitely make sure that he wasn’t going to be compensated based on his potential. Jerry loves to do this to ALL his players. He rewards them based on potential and NOT production. See Eloy/Moncada/Felicio, etc. He might still get to the level of being a good player, but the fact that Billy and AKME kept shoving the fact that he will play the 3 this year during the summer and yet he’s back to the 4 is hilarious. This front office has zero clue what they’re doing when it comes to roster construction. Bulls fans in here along with myself can see that Polio Pat isn’t a 4 and more of a 3 and we needed to address the 4. They blamed DeRozan got stunting Polio Pat’s game but guess what, the dude cannot dribble, shoot, rebound, pass well enough to be considered a starting 4 in this league.
Ted Talk over.
I am thrilled though with them leading the league in pace of play though. It’s frustrating to watch the turnovers and shot selections at times but right now they are just playing great offensive basketball for the most part. Need a few dawgs on defense to get this ship right though.
Agree, after watching the defensive pride during the thibs era the current defense is rly hard to stomach. Just no guts at all.
I rly hope polio pat spreads as a nickname lol. Just so fitting , it’s honestly how he plays.
I also needed a little laugh today so thx for the felicio callback .
I need to trademark it lmao I’ve been saying it for like 2-3 weeks after his miss dunk highlights so far in the 2024-25 season lmao.
Forget Giddey, just keep Lonzo