Milwaukee — Patrick Williams is out again with soreness in the same foot that ruined his 2023-24 season, but the Chicago Bulls aren’t worried just yet. After feeling stiffness in his left foot, the fifth-year forward returned to Chicago following Monday’s road victory over the Detroit Pistons, while the rest of the team headed to Milwaukee for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. Williams received scans in Chicago on Wednesday, with the club emphasizing that the exams were precautionary. Williams was listed on the Bulls’ injury report on Monday, but he played 31 minutes and had eight points and five rebounds in the 122-112 victory. At the time, Williams and coach Billy Donovan played down the soreness.
The club will continue to be cautious with Williams after he had surgery in March to repair bone edema in the same foot, which was detected in January. Prior to the injury, Williams had averaged 10 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 43 games. Williams did not play any five-on-five basketball this summer and was severely restricted during training camp, limiting his availability in the preseason. Wednesday is the third of five games in a seven-day span for the Bulls. Donovan has already stated that the Bulls are load managing some players, particularly point guard Josh Giddey, as they face a difficult stretch of the schedule.
Williams had been improving offensively before the foot problem returned, averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in November. He scored a season-high 18 points in a win over the New York Knicks, demonstrating the promise the Bulls had been hoping to unleash from Williams since his rookie season. The Bulls will face the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 32 points in November, without their top big defender. Despite playing only 17 minutes in three games this season, backup forward Torrey Craig will most likely take on the assignment.
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