Patrick Williams suffered a perilunate dislocation of his left wrist during Thursday's 104-103 loss to the New York Knicks, which is expected to sideline the second-year forward for the remainder of the 2021-22 regular season, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.
Williams' injury is a blow to a Chicago team that was off to a 4-0 start before the one-point loss to New York. Williams, the No. 4 overall pick by the Bulls in last year's draft, had started all five games after coming back from an ankle sprain that sidelined him most of training camp and was the Bulls' primary defensive stopper in a starting five otherwise lacking above-average defenders.
Chicago's depth at forward was a concern after the team traded key reserve Thaddeus Young as part of the August sign-and-trade deal to add DeMar DeRozan, and losing Williams only exacerbates the situation. How can the Bulls replace Williams' defensive versatility and how much will his absence impact their pursuit of a return to the playoffs after four years in the lottery? Let's take a look.