Patrick Williams remains optimistic despite the slow start to the season

The Chicago Bulls' starting power forward, Patrick Williams, has been under a lot of fire this season, and calls for his ouster from the starting five will certainly get even louder after the Florida State product had another bad game in the Bulls' 120-102 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

How did Williams do?

Williams finished with just four points, three rebounds, and a block in 15 minutes of action, some of which came when the game's outcome was already decided late in the fourth period. Through four games, the man the Bulls selected as the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is averaging 5.3 points on 32% shooting and just 2.3 rebounds. Even worse, Williams has yet to record a single assist this season.

Patrick Williams doesn't have an assist yet this season... pic.twitter.com/AUHVlytHhI
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) October 24, 2022

The calls for Williams to lose his starting gig will only get louder after this latest disappointing effort. It's fair to say that the 21-year-old has not looked anywhere near ready for the rigors of NBA action, let alone starting for a team with playoff aspirations.

Patrick's struggles are compounded by the fact that several of his contemporaries from the 2020 class have started their NBA careers in a much better fashion.

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Tyrese Haliburton: 25.7 PPG, 9.7 APG
Cole Anthony: 19.5 PPG
Devin Vassell: 18.7 PPG
Saddiq Bey: 18.0 PPG

All players drafted after Patrick Williams. Many Bulls fans wanted Haliburton at #4. We'd be a completely different team had AKME made the right pick.
— Chicago Bulls Talk (@BullsSource) October 24, 2022

Staying the course

To his credit, Williams has remained level-headed despite the mounting criticisms. He knows that areas of his game need improvement, but he is confident that he will eventually get there.

"Stick with it," Williams said before the game against the Celtics when asked for his response to the horrible start to the season. "They kind of know already how I think about myself and my performances, so they really don't have to say too much."

With Javonte Green shining in the preseason and Derrick Jones Jr. showing flashes of his two-way skills, it's getting harder and harder for Billy Donovan to keep Patrick Williams from being glued to the bench.

The second unit is it ‼ pic.twitter.com/nBHgwFaW1s
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) October 25, 2022

It might not be long before we see a shakeup in the Bulls' starting lineup, with Williams losing his spot to one of those two players.