Alarming Patrick Williams Stat Gains Attention for the Wrong Reasons
Williams has had difficulties finishing at the rim.
A dunk is widely considered the simplest shot in basketball. On average, dunks make up about eight percent of a team’s total points and around 16 percent of their two-point field goals. Players who rely on dunks and alley-oops often dominate in field goal percentage.
For example, the NBA’s top five dunk leaders last season all shot over 55.0 percent from the field. Additionally, players whose dunks accounted for 26.0 percent or more of their shots averaged over 60.0 percent field goal accuracy. While today’s game emphasizes three-pointers, dunks remain a vital scoring method.
However, this scoring ease doesn’t apply to everyone. Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams, despite his athleticism and strength, isn’t known for frequent dunks. This season, the 6-foot-8 forward has notably struggled with his dunk attempts.
Patrick Williams’ Dunking Woes This Season
Williams, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has gone 2-for-7 on dunk attempts this season. Some of these attempts were ambitious efforts over multiple defenders, but others were routine putback opportunities that he simply missed.
Unfortunately, this trend isn’t new for the athletic forward. Over his career, Williams has made 119 out of 187 dunk attempts, a 63.6 percent success rate—nearly 25 percent lower than the league average for dunks.
This unusual statistic has become one of the more puzzling narratives of the season. It might be less surprising if the 6-foot-8, 215-pound Williams were an undersized guard or lacked athleticism. But that’s not the case. Coming out of college, Williams was labeled a “freakish” athlete, and he has demonstrated that potential at times in the NBA. Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation highlighted Williams’ physical gifts while humorously addressing his struggles with dunks.
Despite his size and athleticism, some of Williams’ missed dunk attempts reflect a lack of court awareness—or perhaps an underestimation of his own physical abilities. The exact reasons remain unclear, though Williams does excel at moving off the ball.
Looking ahead, it’s likely Williams will continue to miss some dunk attempts. His willingness to challenge defenders at the rim and attempt quick putbacks is undeniable. However, Bulls fans are hopeful that he can improve his conversion rate on these typically high-percentage opportunities.