Key Chicago Bulls Forward Gets Brutally Honest on Needing to Improve

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams has not played his best basketball as of late

Sep 29, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) forward Matas Buzelis (14) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) pose for photos during Chicago Bulls Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

When Patrick Williams signed his five-year, $90 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in 2024, there were some pretty lofty expectations placed upon the forward.

Unfortunately, Williams never quite made the jump everyone was expecting out of him, and even regressed during the 2024-25 NBA season. Williams lost his job as a consistent starter for the Bulls, dropped in points per game, dropped in minutes played, and made major drops in his shooting efficiency.

While the stats show that Williams needs to be better, he knows it all too well himself.

Patrick William's Reaction to his Struggles

While speaking to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, Williams was very candid about his struggles on the Bulls.

“You have to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘OK, I need to be better,’” Williams said. “Before Billy does it, before the coaching staff does it, before my teammates do it, I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘I got to be better for those guys and for myself.’”

Step one in that improvement, is valuing health. Williams has to make sure he's able to put his best effort possible on the court by being healthy.

“You really start to value your health,” Williams said. “It takes a lot more for me — mentally, physically — to preserve that, to make sure that I’m on the court each and every day.”

What are Patrick Williams' Goals With the Bulls?

Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) warms up before the game against the Miami Heat at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

When it comes to health, Williams wants to be strong and fit enough to guard multiple positions on the court. There's a fine balance between being strong enough, but also not putting on so much mass where it takes a toll on one's body.

"I always wanted to be strong and fit, be able to guard fours, guard fives, guard ones, guard twos, guard threes,” Williams said. “That was kind of the mindfulness of it — not wanting to be too slim where I can’t guard different positions, but also being slim enough where my joints and stuff aren’t just aching after games.

Mar 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) shoots against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at PHX Aena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

"Not just taking that constant beating and pounding with however many pounds of weight driving on them each and every day. (These are) things that over time you just become mindful of after you deal with a few injuries," Williams added.

With how rapid Matas Buzelis is developing for the Bulls, it may be hard for Williams to regain his spot as a consistent starter. However, it's not too late for Williams to make his contract worth the value.