Bulls nation already knows how talented rookie forward Patrick Williams is. But they might not know just how talented he really is. The versatile wing showed he belonged this season by improving his game each month and guarding the opposing teams best player most nights; Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kawhi Leanord to name a few. He averaged 9.2 points 4.6 rebounds on 39 percent three-point shooting.

Mind you, Williams was not a starter on Florida State. He didn’t have a training camp or Summer League to get his feet wet. He was thrown into the fire so to speak starting 71 games for the Bulls. Next to Zach LaVine he is the Bulls most important player and that includes Nikola Vucevic. I said what I said. Patrick Williams isn’t even 20 years old yet. His potential is immense. And at 225 pounds, he is built to withstand the rigors of a NBA season.

His efforts this season earned him a spot on the US Select team, helping prepare the US National team for the Olympics. Head coach of the Select squad Erik Spolestra has a good young crop of players including Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, Anthony Edwards and Tyler Herro. Williams is the youngest out of all of them. That speaks volumes. Spolestra commented on a bevy of his players but what he said about Pat Will has me extra giddy.

(He fits in) really well. Just from a physical standpoint, the US main team has this incredible fire power right? Lot of 30-point scorers, lot of guys that can facilitate and help space for those guys. But it starts with having players who are even physically capable of being even on the same court. Patrick is quite the physical specimen. Extremely strong and agile. He can play either the wing position or play that versatile 4 position. I think he’s set up in the future to be a great two-way basketball player, to be able to defend virtually anyone on the floor, whatever your scheme may be. And then offensively his game has already really grown. You can tell he’s extremely dedicated, to have that kind of improvement.

US Select Team Coach Erik Spolestra

That’s high praise coming from a championship winning coach in a top-flight organization like the Miami Heat. Playing with the select team and going against Team USA should bode extremely well for Patrick and his development. At 19 years old just being in the same room and practicing with those guys is a huge honor. Knowing his work ethic and dedication to the game, he will soak up all the knowledge and experience he can.

This is why the Bulls cannot involve this man in any trade talks this off-season. He’s a special player for a multitude of reasons. He’s the only player the Bulls have that can guard multiple positions at a high level. He’s a big body guy who is just learning how to use his strength effectively. As the season progressed, his offensive game did as well. You could see his confidence rising by the end of the season. He was quick to pull the trigger on open three’s and became more aggressive looking for his shot. I don’t even know if I would include him in a package to acquire Damian Lillard. That’s how highly I think of Patrick Williams. This summer could be a game changer for him and the Bulls future moving forward. As always follow your boy on Twitter @Drizzy_Dru29 and look out for new drops every Friday. I’ll see ya when I see ya!