Explore how forward Patrick Williams has struggled this season and can enhance his efficiency by adjusting his shot selection.
After a couple of solid games to start the season on both ends of the floor, Bulls forward Patrick Williams has regressed to being even more disappointing than last season, which was already his career worst.
Williams struggles with a field goal percentage of 36.7%, even worse than last season’s 39.7%. What’s even more impressive, in a bad way, is that Williams is shooting 40.5% from three-point range, which is above his career average from beyond the arc. What’s dragging his field goal percentage down is his inexplicable two-point field goal percentage of 32.4%.
Per Game Table Season Age Team Lg Pos G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% 2P 2PA 2P% eFG% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS Awards 2020-21 19 CHI NBA PF 71 71 27.9 3.6 7.4 .483 0.8 1.9 .391 2.8 5.5 .515 .534 1.3 1.8 .728 0.9 3.7 4.6 1.4 0.9 0.6 1.4 1.8 9.2 2021-22 20 CHI NBA PF 17 9 24.8 3.2 6.0 .529 0.9 1.7 .517 2.3 4.3 .534 .603 1.8 2.4 .732 1.0 3.1 4.1 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.6 9.0 2022-23 21 CHI NBA PF 82 65 28.3 3.8 8.3 .464 1.4 3.4 .415 2.4 4.9 .498 .549 1.1 1.3 .857 1.0 3.0 4.0 1.2 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.8 10.2 2023-24 22 CHI NBA PF 43 30 27.3 3.7 8.3 .443 1.4 3.4 .399 2.3 4.9 .474 .525 1.2 1.5 .788 1.1 2.8 3.9 1.5 0.9 0.8 1.3 2.0 10.0 2024-25 23 CHI NBA PF 63 36 25.0 3.3 8.2 .397 1.5 4.3 .353 1.7 3.9 .447 .490 1.0 1.3 .723 0.7 3.1 3.8 2.0 0.8 0.5 1.4 1.4 9.0 2025-26 24 CHI NBA PF 22 1 20.9 2.5 6.7 .367 1.5 3.6 .405 1.0 3.1 .324 .476 0.8 1.2 .667 0.8 2.5 3.3 1.3 1.0 0.3 1.0 1.8 7.2 6 Yrs 298 212 26.6 3.5 7.8 .447 1.2 3.2 .393 2.2 4.7 .483 .527 1.1 1.5 .763 0.9 3.1 4.0 1.4 0.9 0.7 1.3 1.7 9.4
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willipa01.html#per_game_stats
Williams Must Improve his Driving Ability and Finishing Around the Rim
This season, Williams has had dreadful results when driving to the basket, a serious issue for a team currently tied for second in the league in drives per game at 60.4. According to NBA.com, Williams averages 3.6 drives per game and manages only a 31.6% shooting percentage on those drives.
A major part of Williams’ struggles stems from his inability to finish around the rim. For a forward listed at 6’6″ with a 6’11” wingspan, shooting 12/33 (36.4%) in the restricted area with nine shots blocked is unacceptable.
Here are some examples of Williams missing very makeable shots around the rim:
Coach Donovan Should Relegate Williams to Only Shooting Threes Until Further Notice
While Williams struggles around the basket, he’s been solid with his three-point shooting, shooting a solid 40.5% on 3.6 attempts per game. The volume of threes needs to be higher for Williams to be considered a bigger threat from range.
However, until he improves his two-point shot making ability, Williams should consider a change in shot diet. His new shot diet needs an increase to his volume from range and a decrease his two-point attempts.
Not only is Williams struggling at the rim, but he’s struggling in general from inside the arc. Williams’ two-point field goal percentage is 32.4%. He converts only 25% (7/28) on shots inside the paint that are outside of the restricted area. He’s shooting 3/7 on mid-range shots, but this sample size offers limited insight. Last season, he posted a poor 30.2% on 43 mid-range attempts.
Currently, 60.8% of Williams’ points come from three-point range, while a mere 27.8% come from two-point range (the other 11.4% is from free throws). While that is a drastic difference, what’s been disappointing to see is that Williams and the Bulls’ coaching staff continue to believe he can score efficiently from two-point range. 46.3% of Williams’ field goal attempts are from two-point range. Only 53.7% of his shots are from three-point range.
Outlook
As many fans know, the Bulls find themselves stuck with Williams unless he significantly improves his game. He’s in the second year of a five-year, $90 million contract, earning $18 million annually, with a player option for the fifth year, according to Spotrac.com. Trading Williams now would likely require the Bulls to attach draft capital, a move that makes little sense given their need for young talent.
For now, Williams should play to one of his few strengths and look to shoot threes and only take two-point shots when necessary. Assuming his three-point percentage doesn’t take a massive dip, this will make him a more efficient player and hopefully turn him into a reliable volume three-point shooter.