Patrick Williams

Central Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Williams, Cavs

December 27th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons lost for just the seventh time this season on Friday, falling to the Jazz, 131-129. Utah scored 44 of its points in the third quarter and Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff was disappointed with his club’s defensive effort.

“Discipline. Execution. Commitment to who we are. Forty-four points in a quarter is unacceptable,” he said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I know we ask a lot of our guys, and most nights they give it to us. Tonight was one of those nights where we were loose from the start.”

Star guard Cade Cunningham agreed with that assessment, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

“This isn’t the level that we should be playing at. We know we’re better than this,” he said. “It’s in our standard. We’ve just gotta go back to the drawing board, figure out what that is that’s taking away from our defense. Come back better, we’ve gotta be better.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls‘ reserves scored 59 points in their 109-102 win over Philadelphia on Friday, stretching Chicago’s winning streak to five games. “Even if we lost a couple [of games], we were still trending in the right direction,” big man Zach Collins said, per Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Everybody’s kind of having a good run right now. We’re crashing the glass a little bit more, just playing a little bit harder and obviously that’s easier when things are going well. We’re winning games and the vibes are high. So we just got to make sure we keep doing those things here.”
One Bulls player who didn’t leave the bench in Friday’s victory was forward Patrick Williams. He was listed as questionable coming into the game due to an illness, but suited up. Williams averaged just 7.8 minutes in the previous four games, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic tweets. The former lottery pick is in the second year of a five-year, $90MM extension.
The Cavaliers‘ tendency to give up offensive rebounds at key times was apparent when they blew a 17-point lead on Christmas Day while losing to the Knicks, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes. “I think it starts with mentality,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I know everyone says physicality, physicality. I think it’s your mental focus. And there’s a difference. You got the scrum rebounds and you got the ones where guys came in from the corner, and I don’t know who missed that Towns one, but those are the ones, the mindless ones, it’s not physicality to me. It’s like, ‘Are you focused? Are you seeing your man? Are you going to crash? Are you gonna get a hit first?’”

Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavs, I. Jackson, P. Williams, Rollins

December 23rd, 2025 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

While no one in the Cavaliers‘ organization is thrilled by the fact that the team has already lost nearly as many games this season (14) as it did last season (18), Kenny Atkinson‘s job is in no imminent danger, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

One recent report cited “rumbles in coaching circles” that Atkinson’s job was becoming less safe, while another suggested there have been “internal questions” about his leadership. But sources tell Vardon that Atkinson isn’t on the hot seat at this point.

The Cavaliers also aren’t on the verge of making significant changes to their roster, Vardon continues, since the front office still wants to see what the team looks like when all of its usual starters are on the court together. That hasn’t yet happened this season, with Max Strus out since August due to foot surgery and several other players having missed time due to injuries as well.

Although Vardon describes executives, coaches, and players as being “upset” by the way the Cavs have played in recent weeks, he also suggests management is willing to be patient, reporting that the team has declined at least two recent trade offers for rotation players.

We have more from around the Central:

Pacers center Isaiah Jackson has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. Milwaukee due to a concussion, and head coach Rick Carlisle wants the NBA to take a look at the play that caused the injury, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Jackson appeared to get hit by a swinging elbow from Celtics center Neemias Queta multiple times on the same possession (Twitter video link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). “It was a play that I felt should have been looked at in real time,” Carlisle said. “It did not appear to be accidental. It’s very dangerous. And I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. It’s pretty serious. … It just can’t be missed. That’s all.”
After averaging 21.2 minutes per night through his first 24 games of the season, forward Patrick Williams has played just 25 total minutes in his past three outings, all Bulls wins. While the former No. 4 overall pick has slipped down the depth chart, head coach Billy Donovan said that Williams’ reduced role isn’t necessarily permanent, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “At some point, there’s going to have to be a level of sacrifice by everybody,” Donovan said. “I wouldn’t sit there and say that in my mind, okay, he’s just the 11th guy and that’s it. I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team going forward. But I do think Patrick can help.”
In a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Bucks guard Ryan Rollins discussed playing for head coach Doc Rivers, vying for this season’s Most Improved Player award, learning from Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and what it felt like to sign a three-year, $12MM contract as a free agent over the summer. “It was a blessing. That’s my first real contract,” Rollins said of the new deal. “I’m grateful for my family to be able to witness that and be inspired and motivated by that. It was great. There’s a lot more to get, so I’m not content at all. I’m still going to be greedy and get more, which I deserve, so there’s a lot more work to do.”

Bulls Notes: Buzelis, Collins, Smith, Dosunmu, Jones, Vucevic

December 20th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Limited options have forced Billy Donovan to use Matas Buzelis at power forward, but the Bulls coach has been finding ways to move him back to his natural position of small forward, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Buzelis continued to start at the four in Friday’s win at Cleveland, but he saw time at both spots as Donavan employed a double-big lineup for much of the game.

“In fairness to Matas, there are matchups that are tough,” Donovan said. “He’s a second-year player that’s only going to get stronger, bigger and as he matures those matchups will be probably easier physically. When he is having to go hypothetically against a Julius Randle or a (Evan) Mobley, someone like that, those guys are playing close to the basket and they’re really physical. Those are tough matchups for a second-year player like Matas. So if you can get him to the small forward for some of the game — not all of the game — I don’t mind playing Matas with two bigs. I never looked at Matas as a big.”

Donovan has been experimenting with the two-center approach recently, often teaming up Zach Collins and Jalen Smith or putting one of them on the court alongside Nikola Vucevic. Cowley notes that he tried a jumbo lineup on Friday, playing Buezelis and Patrick Williams together along with two big men.

Buzelis told reporters he prefers being a small forward, but said he’ll handle whatever assignment Donovan gives him.

“Wherever he puts me I’m going to do my best and try to work it out,” Buzelis said. “But I do feel comfortable when the two bigs come in. It’s not really a problem for me. Wherever he puts me I’m going to try and make something happen.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Collins and Smith have complementary skills that are vital in making the two-big strategy effective, Cowley states in a separate story. “I think the coaches have done a better job of making it so when we’re out there, we know what our roles are, both of us,” Collins said. “Him to space more and me to be more around the rim, and then just constant conversation between me and (Smith). Those are the roles we want to stick to, but there are opportunities where if he’s ahead of the ball, he can run and I can space, and we’ve just tried to keep the communication. That’s the biggest difference.”
Apart from first-round pick Noa Essengue, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery two weeks ago, the Bulls had a fully healthy roster on Friday, Cowley adds. Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones were both listed as questionable coming into the game, but they were able to play on minutes restrictions.
Vucevic admits being “definitely frustrated, mainly at me” as he and the team swooned after a fast start, but he’s looked more like the early-season version of himself lately, Cowley relays in another piece. After delivering 24 points and 15 rebounds on Friday, Vucevic said the Bulls benefited from a relaxed schedule while the NBA Cup was being decided. “Those (days off) after Cup play were huge,” he said. “We were able to regroup, and it also helped me refresh a little bit, recalibrate and just play my game.”

Bulls Notes: Losing Streak, Okoro, Essengue, Vucevic

December 8th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Billy Donovan credits the Warriors‘ “identity” with helping them to survive a string of injuries, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required), who adds that the identity Donovan’s team is developing should be a major concern.

The Bulls dropped their seventh straight game Sunday night, losing by 32 points to a Golden State team that was missing Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors still managed to score 38 points in the first quarter while shooting 8-of-13 from beyond the arc and outrebounded Chicago by an 11-6 margin.

‘‘I do think for some of the guys that have been thrust into situations where their minutes have changed, responsibilities have changed, we’ve got to be able to stay true and hold true to that (identity),’’ Donovan said. ‘‘That’s the thing I try to look at where, yes, you’ve got all these injuries, but what about the things we can control about how we’re supposed to play and how we need to be able to play? Some of the things that have hurt have been the ball-handling issue and the turnovers. We’ve had a lot of responsibilities on particular guys just because that’s one thing that’s kind of gone out with the injuries is the ball-handling, but we’ve got to be able to do a better job with that.’’

After winning their first five games, the Bulls have taken a severe downturn, dropping to 11th in the East at 9-14. The early advantages they got from committing to Donovan’s fast-paced style have disappeared, and there don’t seem to be any obvious paths to a quick turnaround. However, guard Coby White insists that players are remaining united through the adversity.

‘‘Whatever we do, we’ve got to do it together,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s the most important thing. I’ve been here a long time, seen a lot of different situations, been in different scenarios, and the most important thing is we can’t start pointing fingers or anything like that. I’m not saying by any means we’ve done that, but we’re all human. So the most important thing right now is we’ve got to stick together. It’s still a very long season.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

There’s some optimism on the injury front, Cowley states in a separate story. Forwards Isaac Okoro (back) and Jalen Smith (left hamstring) and guard Kevin Huerter (adductor) were all able to do some on-court work prior to Sunday’s game. The Bulls are now 1-7 without Okoro, and Cowley states that they desperately miss their best perimeter defender. ‘‘He has made progress and has felt better, but he still feels like when he goes back, he still feels it there,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘Some of those symptoms have subsided, but the hardest part for me is … they’re all going to need some ramp-up. Even if they’re feeling really good, I don’t know if the medical guys are going to say, ‘OK, you’re fine,’ and throw them right back into a game.’’
Rookie forward Noa Essengue confirmed that it was his decision to undergo surgery on his injured left shoulder now rather than try to play through the pain and wait for the offseason, Cowley adds. ‘‘If I waited until the end of the season, I would be gone all summer,’’ he said. ‘‘And if I do it now, I can have all summer.’’
The Bulls aren’t getting the bench production they did earlier in the season, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). Injuries have played a role in that drop-off, but Poe points out that Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry and Zach Collins were all available on Sunday.
Nikola Vucevic is unlikely to be the Bulls’ starting center beyond this season, Poe states in a mailbag column. While Collins could inherit that role, Poe believes the eventual long-term solution will come through the draft.

Injury Notes: Giannis, AD, Bulls, Sixers

November 27th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Friday’s game in New York, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo is dealing with a strained left adductor, which is part of the groin.

The two-time MVP has missed the past four games — and most of a fifth — after suffering the injury on November 17 at Cleveland. Milwaukee lost all five games without its best player and has dropped six straight overall.

Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 years old on Dec. 6, was also considered questionable for Wednesday’s game in Miami before being ruled out. Head coach Doc Rivers said the nine-time All-NBA forward hasn’t experienced a setback, according to Nehm (Twitter link).

“No,” Rivers said. “I was not in favor (of him playing Wednesday). I was very happy we decided what we decided. I was very uncomfortable with it. He really wanted to push and that’s who Giannis is. I was very happy with our medical team today. They decided at the end of the day, let’s wait. … We just thought it was the right thing to do. We gotta protect him sometimes.”

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

As expected, Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis is questionable for Friday’s matchup at the Lakers, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). The star big man has missed the past 14 games with a left calf strain. Davis, who practiced on Wednesday, said it was “surprising” and “definitely tough” to see former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison get fired, but downplayed the trade chatter surrounding him in the wake of Harrison’s dismissal. “This is basketball,” Davis said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “This is what comes with it. I think everybody in their career has been involved in trade talks. Been traded. Or some type of move. That doesn’t affect me. I’ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do on the floor. Play basketball. Try to lead this team. I do have an open line of communication with the front office. I’m just ready to get back on the floor.”
The Bulls have a lengthy injury report ahead of Friday’s contest in Charlotte, notes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter (left pelvic contusion), Dalen Terry (left calf strain), Nikola Vucevic (right patellofemoral syndrome), Coby White (right calf strain injury management), and Patrick Williams (left wrist sprain) are all questionable, while Isaac Okoro is doubtful to suit up because of left lumbar radiculopathy.
In addition to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford, who are sidelined with knee and adductor injuries, respectively, Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of his ninth consecutive game on Friday against Brooklyn due to right knee injury management (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) is also out for the third straight game, while forward Paul George is questionable with a right ankle sprain. George was inactive for Tuesday’s 41-point loss to Orlando, though he did practice on Wednesday.

Injury Notes: Shannon, Shamet, Barrett, Bulls

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Terrence Shannon Jr. has been cleared for full-contact, five-on-five practice, the Timberwolves announced in a press release. He is being listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Kings.

Shannon has missed the last nine games for the Wolves with a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise. After playing 339 regular season minutes in his rookie season, he saw his playing time increase following the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but has struggled to increase his production in the early going, averaging 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game through the team’s first seven contests.

In Shannon’s absence, Minnesota has turned to Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Leonard Miller, among others. The Wolves are 10-6 on the season and have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Landry Shamet exited the Knicks‘ loss to the Magic in the first quarter and is now listed as out for Monday’s game against the Nets with a sprained right shoulder, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy notes that head coach Mike Brown stated Landry would have a full evaluation in “the coming days,” and that this designation is only tied to the next game’s status. Shamet has been a productive role player for the Knicks this season, starting six games and averaging 9.3 PPG on 42.4% shooting from deep.
RJ Barrett exited the Raptors‘ win against the Nets on Sunday early with a right knee sprain after landing awkwardly on a dunk, reports Danielle Michaud, as relayed by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (via Twitter), Barrett will get imaging done on his knee on Monday.
Isaac Okoro and Dalen Terry are listed as out for the Bulls‘ game against the Pelicans on Monday, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter and Patrick Williams are listed as questionable with an illness and wrist injury, respectively.

Bulls Notes: Huerter, Williams, Vucevic, Ring Of Honor

November 22nd, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls were down to seven available players by the end of Friday’s game against Miami, losing Matas Buzelis (right ankle sprain) and Dalen Terry (left calf strain) to injuries and Kevin Huerter to an ejection, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. The incident involving Huerter typified a frustrating night that ended with a 36-point loss that probably ended Chicago’s chances of advancing in NBA Cup play.

Huerter was tossed with 8:18 left in the third quarter after being called for a foul when he tried to block a shot by Pelle Larsson. He slapped the ball toward the scorer’s table, but it bounced and hit referee Che Flores before it got there. Huerter said it wasn’t intentional, but after a review it was determined that the act met “the standards of an ejection.”

“I didn’t get much explanation,” Huerter said. “Apologies to that ref, think it was Che. Wasn’t malicious, wasn’t intended to be aggressive toward her. I don’t know the rule, so I guess now I’m aware.”

Buzelis is listed as questionable and Terry is doubtful for Saturday’s matchup with Washington, Lorenzi tweets. Also listed as questionable are Huerter (illness), Isaac Okoro (lumber radiculopathy) and Patrick Williams (wrist sprain).

There’s more from Chicago:

Williams credits mental adjustments for his improved performance in his sixth NBA season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times (subscription required). Cowley points out that the sixth-year forward has a positive plus-minus rating for the first time in his career and seems to be thriving in the Bulls’ uptempo attack. Williams said he’s never “really cared too much” about the outside criticism he’s received since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. “Obviously, knowing my body now and what I need to do to be ready for the game helps,” he added. “From that standpoint there’s less overthinking. ‘What am I doing in the game, how am I jumping, how am I landing?’ None of that. I’m just playing, just playing, and I still think I can play a lot better for sure, but in terms of making the read, miss a shot, make a shot, just a next-play mentality. That’s kind of when I play my best.”
Coach Billy Donovan calls Nikola Vucevic, who hit a game-winning shot Wednesday night at Portland, a “calming force” in clutch situations, Cowley adds in a separate story. The veteran center has raised his assist numbers this season and considers himself to be a “connector” in Chicago’s offense. “He’s got this kind of idea of how the game should be played,” Donovan said. “Like he likes the ball movement, the cutting, the passing, and the unselfishness. He’s always been a big believer in that, and so am I. When the ball is in his hands, it’s not so much about him shooting, but he generally connects our team in a lot of ways.”
Former Bulls player and executive John Paxson will be among the new members welcomed into the team’s Ring of Honor during tonight’s game, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). The others are Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant and Neil Funk, along with Norm Van Lier and Johnny Bach, who will be inducted posthumously.

Bulls Notes: Smith, Williams, Jones, Buzelis

October 26th, 2025 at 9:26am CST by Rory Maher

Jalen Smith is getting another shot to be the Bulls‘ primary backup center after Zach Collins underwent surgery on October 18 to repair a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

As Poe details, Smith signed a three-year, $27MM contract with Chicago during the 2024 offseason and opened 2024/25 as the main backup to Nikola Vucevic. He initially lost the job due to an injury: he suffered a concussion in February, and Collins — who was acquired earlier that month in the three-team deal that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento — thrived while Smith was out.

“At the end of the day, this is a big-boy’s league,” Smith said. “You can’t be salty over stuff like that. It was out of my control. I got a concussion, Zach started playing well. If I was the coach, I would’ve made the same decision.”

While Smith harbors no ill will over the demotion, he’s determined to reclaim the role this season. The 25-year-old big man went 0-of-7 from the field in 14 minutes in Wednesday’s opener, but bounced back with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 17 minutes during Saturday’s victory in Orlando.

Here’s more on the Bulls, who are now 2-0 after Saturday’s win:

Matas Buzelis‘ foul trouble created an opportunity for Patrick Williams on Saturday, and the former No. 4 overall pick took advantage with an assertive performance on both ends of the court, according to Poe. Williams finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 29 minutes. “I think I played good ball — but most importantly, we won,” Williams said. “That’s kind of how I judge myself, no matter how I played. If we win, great. If we lost, I didn’t do enough.”
Tre Jones, who re-signed with the Bulls on a three-year, $24MM contract over the summer, continues to play well with Coby White (calf strain) out. The 25-year-old point guard was a game-high plus-17 on Saturday while recording 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a career-high five steals in 29 minutes, Poe notes.
In an interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, second-year forward Buzelis discusses his individual and team goals for 2025/26, players he looked up to growing up, and more.

Bulls Notes: Okoro, Vucevic, Williams, Dosunmu

October 17th, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

Entering the preseason, it seemed obvious that Josh Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic would be part of the Bulls‘ starting lineup, but the fifth spot in that unit remained up for grabs. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required) wrote when she explored the topic earlier this week, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones all looked like candidates for the role.

Now that the Bulls’ preseason has wrapped up, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times believes Okoro is the frontrunner to be the team’s fifth starter, and head coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that he’d be comfortable having the newly added forward defending the opponent’s best perimeter player. However, Donovan also stressed that he doesn’t necessarily plan to lock in a lineup and rotation and stick with that group indefinitely.

“I’ve talked to these guys about it, and it’s not probably necessarily conventional just from the perspective of we’ve got to get out of the old-school NBA mindset of, ‘Here’s my rotation, here’s my guys that go in the game and here’s how many minutes they play,'” Donovan said. “I just don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that.

“Probably over 82 games, there will be a consistent group that starts, but maybe some nights we have to change the starting lineup. In my opinion, we have to change starting lineups based on who we’re playing and what the matchups look like for us.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Although Vucevic will turn 35 next week and is entering the final year of his current contract, he’s not thinking about the end of his playing career at this point, as Poe relays for The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “Retirement is not something that’s at all on my mind,” Vucevic said. “I’m just trying to enjoy it — as long, as much as I can.”
With the start of the season around the corner, Poe poses five questions facing the Bulls, including whether Buzelis is on an All-Star trajectory, whether White (calf strain) will be available for opening night, and how often the club will use a two-big lineup featuring Vucvic and Jalen Smith.
After a disappointing fifth year, expectations will be lower for former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams as he enters his sixth NBA season, according to Cowley. However, the forward is feeling as healthy as he has in a while and will be focusing on producing more consistently for the Bulls, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Donovan, who said he believes Williams can still “carve out a really good niche for himself as an NBA player,” noted that he has seen growth from the 24-year-old but stressed the need for him to be able to string together several good games in a row. “As it relates to Patrick, his minutes and stuff like that, a lot of it will be how consistent he’s playing,” Donovan said. “If it’s not going well — for anybody — we may have to go with someone else.”
Dosunmu has played well in the preseason and appears well positioned for a strong contract year, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. For his part though, the fifth-year guard isn’t thinking about potential 2026 free agency or what an extension would look like, he recently told reporters. “My main focus is just taking it one day at a time, not worrying about next July or whenever it is, because that’s going to happen when it’s going to happen,” Dosunmu said. “Just stay in the moment.”

Bulls Notes: Ball, Jones, Williams, White

October 11th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

When Lonzo Ball signed a team-friendly two-year extension with the Bulls in February, he knew that he’d probably be in a different uniform before it expired, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. A $10MM annual salary with a club option in 2026/27 made Ball extremely attractive to contenders, and the Cavaliers were the first to pounce, sending Isaac Okoro to Chicago in a July trade.

Ball is happy to be with a contender in Cleveland, and he believes both teams benefited from the deal.

“I think teams trade to try to get better, so Chicago did what was best for them, and I think Cleveland did what they thought was best for them,” Ball said. “So all I can control is where I’m at and who I’m playing for, and that’s the Cavs right now. Go out there and give them my all.”

Ball completed a remarkable comeback last season, appearing in 35 games after missing two and a half years due to recurring knee issues. Cowley expects the Cavs to be cautious with him — limiting his minutes and not using him on both nights of back-to-backs — in order to keep him healthy for the playoffs.

Ball is still a beloved figure in Chicago, and he received a tribute video when Cleveland visited the United Center on Thursday.

“Just thankful, man,” he said. “I made a lot of good relationships here on and off the court. Loved the city of Chicago, and, as you can see, the fans still rock with me, so a lot of love to them. But coaches, man, even my teammates, it’s always great seeing them and hope the best for them moving forward, for sure.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Re-signing Tre Jones was an offseason priority after acquiring him from San Antonio in a February trade, Cowley adds in a separate story. Cowley believes the addition of Jones made it easier for the Bulls to part with Ball. “He just kind of makes things happen,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He finds guys on cuts, back cuts. He gets to the basket. He’s very calm, got a good IQ, and, yeah, I kind of said it last year — he’s got that ‘it’ factor. He just makes plays.”
After five mostly frustrating seasons with the team, Patrick Williams recognizes the need to improve, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. He focused on dropping weight during the summer with a high-cardio workout routine that included running through sand dunes in Los Angeles. He hopes the increased mobility will make him more versatile on defense. “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. 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.”
Coby White remains sidelined with a calf strain he suffered in August, Poe states in another piece. There’s still hope that he might be ready for the October 16 preseason finale and the October 22 regular season opener, but Donovan said the team is being careful not to bring him back too early due to the strain of playing in an up-tempo offense.

Load More Posts