Award season in the NBA is nearing its end, and the Bulls have an honoree.
Patrick Williams was named to the All-Rookie second team Thursday night. Williams received two first-team votes and 46 second-team votes, giving him 50 points overall (the lowest of the selectees).
Joining Williams on the second team are Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Isaiah Stewart (Pistons), Desmond Bane (Grizzlies) and Immanuel Quickley (Knicks). LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Kings), Saddiq Bey (Pistons) and Jae-Sean Tate (Rockets) earned first-team nods.
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After one year at Florida State, Williams became the first draft choice of the Artūras Karnišovas-Marc Eversley front office era when the Bulls selected him fourth overall in 2020.
In his first professional season, Williams started all 71 games in which he appeared, averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists with 48.3/39.1/72.8 shooting splits from the field, 3-point range and free-throw line.
He was also consistently tasked with guarding opposing teams’ best perimeter scoring options, leading Karnišovas to say at his end-of-season press conference that no player on the team was asked to do more than Williams.
NBA
“Usually when you get a young player, you build his arsenal. You add certain things to his skill set. Pat has a lot of those skills,” Karnišovas said. “It’s just when he is going to choose to use them.”
Williams ranked fourth among rookies in total minutes played — and third on the Bulls, trailing only Coby White and Zach LaVine — as well as fourth in total rebounds, sixth in total steals and third in total blocks.
This offseason will be a crucial one for Williams, a reality of which he’s well-aware. He plans to participate in August’s Summer League, which concludes nine days before his 20th birthday.
“Everything was pretty much new,” Williams said of his first season. “Now that I have the gist of what the NBA is about, to have that in my mind and that experience going into the summer is going to be huge for me and for this team.”
Williams is the fifth current Bull to make an All-Rookie team. White made the second team in 2020, Lauri Markkanen made first team in 2018, LaVine made second team in 2015 and Thad Young made second team in 2008.
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