Billy Donovan remains unsure of who will start at power forward

Many conversations have been had over who should start at point guard for the Chicago Bulls. However, another intriguing positional battle to pay attention to is at power forward, where young Patrick Williams dukes it out against veteran Torrey Craig.

Though Williams’ development and subsequent “leap” are often mentioned as key to the success of the Bulls’ upcoming season, Craig also brings toughness and stability to a roster that, at times, sorely needed it. This means Bulls coach Billy Donovan has a chance to pick the best option for his team, but he remains undecided on who will get the start.

Integral role

As mentioned, Williams is considered a player who can make a major impact in the Bulls’ 2023-2024 season. Still only 22, his growth is inevitable if given enough opportunities, and he certainly has the potential to be an all-star caliber player down the line.

“Patrick has to play an integral role to our team and integral minutes. A lot of times, people get wrapped up in starting and not starting. I don’t want to sit here and say this is our starting lineup right now because I don’t know that. Patrick has played a lot of his career here as a starter. He also has come off the bench and helped us. I think we want to put all our guys in a position where they can be successful,” Donovan said.

Second unit stint

Williams started 65 games for the Bulls last season but also came off the bench later in the season when the Bulls played small ball with the 6-foot-5 Alex Caruso playing at power forward.

The reserve role did little to stall Williams’ production, highlighted by a three-game stretch from March 31 to April 4, where he averaged 13.5 points. So the Bulls fans should expect even more from Williams if he secures the starting role.

“He did have success in the second unit,” Donovan added. “That’s not to say he’s going to come off the bench. But it may indicate he’ll start, and then we potentially get him back in there with that second unit where he can be in situations where he can be more aggressive.”