The Chicago Bulls provided an update on Patrick Williams‘ injury status on Tuesday morning. The injury was announced as acute bone edema in his left foot. The forward will be out for the foreseeable future, and will be reassessed in two weeks.
Injury Update: Patrick Williams has been diagnosed with acute bone edema in his left foot.
He will immediately begin a period of active rest and be reassessed in approximately two weeks.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 30, 2024
NBA News: Latest Bulls Injury Update
Patrick Williams Injury
In 2022-23, Williams played in all 82 regular season games, in addition to featuring in both of the Bulls’ play-in tournament games. After having missed the previous three games, Williams was seen wearing a walking boot on the bench during the Bulls’ last game, a 104-96 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
When asked about the boot, Williams sounded off on his displeasure wearing one.
‘I know what it looks like to wear a boot. You never want to just have to wear one of those. But they spoke to me about the benefit of wearing it and kind of de-loading it for a couple of days.’’
Williams has had a similar statistical campaign to 2022-23, with minuscule decreases in scoring and three-point shooting. The former Florida State star is averaging 10 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 39.9% shooting from beyond the arc.
Torrey Craig Injury
Another key contributor of the Bulls bench, Torrey Craig, is ramping up towards a return. Head coach Billy Donovan had this to say about Craig’s increased mobility.
“‘He’s running, he’s cutting…He’s definitely progressing and getting better.’’
Craig has averaged 6.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and one assist per game in 27 games this season.
Opportunity for Rookie
The injuries to Williams and Craig should see rookie Julian Phillips receive significant playing time. The former Tennessee Volunteer has played sparingly this season, averaging only 5.3 minutes in the 23 games he’s featured in.
However, he played 23 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Trail Blazers, the most out of any Bulls bench player. He finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, to go along with two rebounds and one assist. Phillips’ athleticism was on full display, as he managed an impressive block on Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon.
JULIAN PHILLIPS WITH TWO HANDS ✋🤚 pic.twitter.com/OIHhYtyf12
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 29, 2024
When asked about Phillips’ performance against Portland, Donovan had nothing but praise for the 20 year-old.
“I think the thing I’ve been most impressed with from Summer League to now has been his ability to pick things up very quickly. He’s got a very, very high IQ, and he instinctively knows where to cut…I give him a lot of credit. He’s been back and forth[playing] in G-League, didn’t get to play necessarily a lot and then he gets an opportunity tonight and I thought he was a big, big boost to us and made a lot of really good, positive plays.”
It sounds like Williams injury may end up being a silver lining for Chicago, as they look to explore the abilities of their talented rookie.
What’s Next
Williams will likely be out until the All-Star break, meaning he will miss at least eight more games. Craig is expected to return prior to the break, but Zach LaVine will remain out.
During that stretch, Chicago will face some tough tests, including games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Orlando Magic, the Sacramento Kings, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
