Patrick Williams taking move to the bench in stride

Bulls forward Patrick Williams is taking his demotion to the bench in stride. Much was expected from the fourth pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, with many pegging the Florida State product to make a leap this season after suffering a wrist injury that sidelined him for most of the 2021-2022 season.

However, Williams has struggled in the preseason, leaving Bulls head coach Billy Donovan no choice but to tinker with his lineup and experiment with putting in Derrick Jones Jr. or Javonte Green into the starting five.

Loyal soldier

From the outside looking in, it seems like the Bulls' starting power forward come October 19 will be Green, the 29-year-old journeyman averaging 16 points on a blistering 77% shooting clip in the preseason. Told that he was being sent to the bench in favor of Green during the Bulls' second preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, Williams did not bat an eyelash and accepted the sudden development.

"I didn't really think much into it. When he told me, I was all for it. I really think Javonte is a really good player. He plays with a lot of energy. And I kind of saw where he was coming from in terms of him being able to bring energy to that first group, and I think it worked. I mean, we won," said Williams.

Patrick Williams addressed tonight’s move to the second unit. He was a total pro about the situation. He admitted Javonte Green has been a good fit with the first string and said he just wants to win. pic.twitter.com/cWRseyr3bJ
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) October 8, 2022

He's built this way

Lest anyone think Williams is just saying all the right things, the young man has walked this path before. Williams did not start a single game in his lone season at Florida State, opting to come off the bench. He was eventually named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year.

"So it's just you're a part of the team. You have a certain skill set. You have things that you're really good at and you try to bring that to light throughout the game to help the team win ultimately," added Williams.

"I don't really go into a game thinking I'm the fourth overall pick. I'm just Patrick Williams, No. 44 for the Chicago Bulls. I'm just a player here. I think it's the same for everybody else."