LOS ANGELES — A blind résumé comparison doesn’t do Patrick Williams any favors these days. But with just 16 games remaining after the Bulls played the Lakers on Thursday, what the heck:
• Player A: In his last four games with meaningful minutes, he has averaged 12 points and seven rebounds, including a 17-point, 11-rebound performance Tuesday against Golden State.
• Player B: In his last four games, he has averaged eight points and 1.3 rebounds, and the last time he put up anything close to a 17-11 showing was Game 4 against the Bucks in the 2022 playoffs in which he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
That’s why it’s not crazy to wonder if little-known Leonard Miller (Player A) is a better option than Williams moving forward for not only the rest of this season but also beyond.
“Lenny is a monster,” teammate Matas Buzelis said after the Bulls’ overtime victory against the Warriors.
Miller, a 6-10 forward, was a force in that game, and six of his 11 of his rebounds were offensive. Williams’ tenacity on the offensive glass is one of the ongoing criticisms of him in Year 6 since the Bulls drafted him fourth overall in 2020. Too many lethargic games, not enough urgency.
There’s an even bigger indictment in comparing the players. Since joining the Bulls (along with Rob Dillingham and second-round picks) in the trade with the Timberwolves for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips, Miller has posted a team-high plus-7.5 per game in plus/minus in 10 games. Meanwhile, Williams is near the bottom of the team with a minus-4.8 per game.
An unfair sample size? Maybe, but the fact that the Bulls lost seven of the 10 games Miller played, and yet he still has produced winning basketball whenever he’s on the floor speaks volumes.
“With Minnesota I wasn’t playing so I kind of got used to it, but with me being used to it I’m still ready, I’m still locked in,” Miller said. “I’m always ready to go out there and compete at a high level. I think I demonstrated that and that’s what I’m going to continue to demonstrate. Me playing at a high level and having a good game, I’m kind of not surprised because I have that belief in myself, I’m confident, and I feel like the sky is the limit with me.”
Will the Bulls agree?
After Miller played solid minutes against the Suns last Thursday, he only got a minute of mop-up time in the next game against the Kings. Williams returned from an injury and played 17 minutes in that loss. But Williams tweaked his ankle, and that’s why Miller got the start against the Warriors.
And he made it count.
“He’s very active on the glass, he’s a good runner in transition, he’s a very active body as far as cutting and moving,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I just like his activity and his motor. There’s certain things he’s inexperienced at that will come in time, but overall, his activity, he can just get a lot of things into the game.”
Williams was out against the Lakers, but what will Donovan do when he has both forwards healthy again? That’s the question.
It didn’t sound like Miller was concerned.
“It’s all about staying ready, it’s all about staying locked in,” Miller said. “I pay attention to the game plan. My focus is coming in and making winning plays and that’s all I care about.”
One more blind comparison:
• Player A: Has a $2.4 million team option for next season.
• Player B: Guaranteed $18 million a year through the 2028-29 season.
No one said comparisons were fair.
