It starts with Patrick Williams.
Then again, when it comes to talking Bulls the last few seasons and the one player that needs to start flashing, it always seems to start with Williams.
But this is a little different.
Year 4 for an NBA player – especially one selected No. 4 overall like Williams was – usually is.
Not only do the Bulls have to start making a financial decision on Williams, but need to find out if sparks of special moments can ignite into a long sustainable burn.
Williams has shown that he can be a difference maker on the defensive end, and hitting on 41.5% of his three-point attempts last season is a skill that has to be embraced from the 6-foot-7 forward. However, there remain too many lulls in his game, especially on the offensive end and in the rebounding department.
He looks the part but doesn’t always play the part.
Williams changing that could be the difference in the Bulls messing around in a play-in game or hosting a first-round postseason series.
The good news is he played in all 82 games last season, then took his talents to Los Angeles this offseason to put in some hard time at Camp DeRozan.
Veteran DeMar DeRozan is well-known for his rigorous offseason training program, and invited both Williams and second-year guard Dalen Terry to join him over the summer. The reports were that both youngsters not only survived, but came out much better for it.
All good news.
So with Bulls training camp tipping off Monday with media day, talk of the “Big Three,’’ changes in the offense and the shot profile, mixing in new faces like Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig all carry merit. But where it starts? Williams.
It always does.
Here are the four other main storylines heading into Bulls camp:
1. For starters – Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeRozan are already inked in the starting lineup, and Williams will likely get the first nod over Craig at the power forward position. Where it gets interesting is what coach Billy Donovan wants to do at his point guard spot?
Carter and Coby White are the leading candidates for running the show, with Carter having the slight edge because of his defense.
More importantly, who will Donovan close games with? Alex Caruso is usually a must, along with LaVine and DeRozan, and it will be interesting to see how Donovan figures out the rest of the puzzle.
2. The Vooch – Before signing his contract extension in the summer, Vucevic met with Donovan to again discuss how he’s used offensively. There have been too many moments where he’s been ignored in offensive sets, especially after getting a mismatch off of a switch.
The Bulls need to get up more three-pointers overall so expect an offense where Vucevic can be better utilized either as a shooter or passer.
3. Payday – DeRozan has never asked for a trade or stressed about a contract extension. Entering the final year of his current Bulls deal, that won’t change. It doesn’t mean it’s not worth keeping an eye on.
Early indications are the front office will watch how this season is playing out before making a decision on DeRozan. If they can get out to a quick start then DeRozan could be a keeper. If this is going South by January, the six-time All-Star could be a valuable trade asset.
4. Depth charge – This might be the deepest roster Donovan has had as Bulls coach, easily going 10 deep. Vucevic, DeRozan, LaVine, Caruso, Carter, Williams, Craig, White and Andre Drummond are all must-plays in every game, and they brought Ayo Dosunmu back at three years, $21 million for a reason.
Could Donovan go 11 deep and use Terry? That’s a tough juggle, and Terry could help answer that with a stellar camp.
