Bulls forward Patrick Williams always has played the role of the good soldier, but that is being tested right now.
Entering the Bulls’ game Monday against the Timberwolves, Williams seemed to have become an afterthought. He had played single-digit minutes in four consecutive games while coming off the bench as the seldom-used 11th man.
That’s not exactly what’s expected from a player making $18 million a year and not exactly a role Williams is embracing. But he also treats his job with the utmost professionalism, so that’s the tightrope he has to try to walk.
‘‘Obviously, it bothers me because I’m a competitor,’’ Williams said before the Bulls’ 136-101 loss. ‘‘But there’s a certain level of professionalism that you’ve got to bring, especially for a guy that’s been through some things. I have a few years under my belt.
‘‘There’s a certain level of professionalism you’ve got to bring that you are also relied on to bring, whether things are going well for you or not. If they’re not going well for you, the professionalism shouldn’t change. There’s also the idea that things will come back around to you if you stay professional.’’
They did come back around somewhat against the Timberwolves, with head coach Billy Donovan needing size off the bench with backup center Zach Collins out at least a week with a sprained toe.
That meant turning to Williams early. He came off the bench in the first quarter and finished with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes.
‘‘For sure, 100%,’’ Williams said of taking advantage of the opportunity. ‘‘Obviously, you don’t want guys to go down. We all love Zach and what he brings to the game. It’s definitely an opportunity for someone to step up, and if [Donovan] calls my number, I’m ready.’’
Donovan has made it a point to remain transparent with Williams in the last week.
‘‘I’ve talked to him [about] what we need from him and also [about how] when we’ve gone big it’s impacted his minutes,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘Is he happy about it? Probably not, but he didn’t voice any displeasure. He’s been totally team. And I wouldn’t have a problem if he was upset. These guys are pros. They work hard, [and] they all want to be out there.
‘‘Patrick hasn’t pouted, hasn’t complained, hasn’t done any of that stuff. Now, probably in his quiet moments, in his own head, he wants to be out there playing, and I respect that.’’
Minutes change
Donovan has been tinkering with the minutes in center Nikola Vucevic’s stints, specifically in the first quarter. Historically, he has played Vucevic the first nine minutes of the first quarter. Now, however, he’s subbing him out a
bit earlier.
‘‘Our guys look at the metrics, and it’s about at what point . . . is there a crash, so to speak, a decline that you start to see?’’ Donovan said. ‘‘For our guys, as fast as we want to play, it’s been hard for anyone to play nine straight minutes.’’
All-Star update
The first fan returns for All-Star voting were posted, and guard Josh Giddey was 14th in the Eastern Conference. What he has on his side, however, is the new United States vs. World format and a World team that needs to
be built.
‘‘I’ve thought about it,’’ Giddey said. ‘‘I try not to pay too much attention because, in the end, that stuff is out of my hands. I think all the individual stuff comes with winning. I know it’s a new format with the World and USA, so I guess we’ll see what happens in a couple of weeks.’’