Bulls rookie Patrick Williams headed back to the lab after loss - Chicago Sun-Times

Patrick Williams was taking notes in Friday’s game.

How Kawhi Leonard would get to his spots with such ease on the offensive end, how the 6-foot-7 Clippers forward would know the balance of conserving his energy for both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, how Leonard would know when to take the wheel and when to be a passenger for his teammates.

By the end of the game, Williams’ notebook was full.

Not surprising, considering the butt-whooping the 19-year-old Bulls rookie endured. Heck, Williams was likely out of pencil lead before the final quarter even started.

“[Los Angeles was] without Paul George and we knew that,’’ Williams said. “We knew [Leonard] was going to come out more aggressive. And he did, picking his spots, where to shoot, lot of down screens, cross screens for him, lot of ball screens for him. And we knew that was coming, that was part of the gameplan.’’

And yet, the Bulls could do very little to stop it.

Specifically, Williams couldn’t, since the rookie drew the Leonard matchup for a second time this season.

When the final horn sounded and the Clippers had earned the 125-106 win, Leonard had put up 33 points, shooting 14-for-21 from the field. That included a 1-for-6 from three, which means inside the arc the former Finals MVP was 13-for-15, basically doing whatever he wanted.

“Me, I think I could have did better,’’ Williams said. “Energy, defensively, just making it tough on him, I think he was a little bit too comfortable out there. That’s on me. So kinda like I’ve been saying up to this point, just gotta watch the film and get better from it, me personally, offensively and defensively, and also, you know, as a team, there are some things, there were some areas there where we kinda dropped the ball.’’

Leonard is a matchup nightmare for most NBA players.

For a guy 25 games into his professional career? Did he ever really have a chance?

In Williams’ mind, yes. The rookie admitted that he watches hours and hours of film of his opponents and players he’s compared to.

And fair or unfair, the Leonard comparisons have been at Williams’ doorstep from Day 1.

The big hands, the body size, the quiet demeanor. Even LeBron James uttered their names in the same sentence when discussing Williams the first time he played against him.

Watching your comp score 33, however, while you finish with just three points on five shots? Doesn’t exactly scream that Williams is right on Leonard’s heels.

That’s why the rook insisted he needed to get back into the lab, and back to film work and note taking. The goal? Different results next time.

“One hundred percent. Not only because he’s my favorite player and my games kind of similar to his,’’ Williams said. “I go back and watch all the games that we play of really high caliber players, all-stars, things like that. I’ll go back and watch those games 10, 20 times just to see what they did and how I can implement that into my game.

“I want to be great in this league. And I think my teammates and my coaching staff have the confidence that I will be really good or great in this league. I do it for me but I also do it for them, just to let them know that as much confidence as they have in me, I have that much confidence in myself. And that confidence comes through film, comes through the work.

“I don’t want that to happen again. So, I’ll do whatever it takes.’’

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Bulls rookie Patrick Williams headed back to the lab after loss - Chicago Sun-Times
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