Oct. 29 (UPI) — Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams will have surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left wrist, the team announced Friday.
Williams suffered the injury during Thursday night’s game against the New York Knicks when he tumbled out of the air on a flagrant foul by Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson. According to ESPN, Williams sustained a severe perilunate dislocation after landing on his left wrist.
The 20-year-old Williams is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 regular season due to the injury, ESPN reported. The Bulls announced a recovery timeline of four to six months for Williams after his procedure.
Despite the lengthy timetable, the Bulls are optimistic that Williams can return in time for the postseason. The revamped Bulls are off to a 4-1 start this year.
Injury Update: Patrick Williams will undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left wrist from an injury sustained in last night’s game vs. the New York Knicks. He is expected to miss approximately 4-6 months.— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 29, 2021
The loss of Williams is a significant blow to the Bulls, who selected the Florida State product with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Williams missed most of the preseason because of a sprained ankle, but the team was counting on the second-year forward to take a major leap and play a substantial role this season.
“It’s going to be a challenge, there’s no question about it,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said Friday. “We’re a little bit smaller at that position and we’ve played smaller there.
“But when you lose a guy like that that can guard a lot of different positions and has got the strength and size to deal with post-up players, like Patrick does, it definitely hurts.”
Through five games this season, Williams has averaged 6.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 25 minutes per game.
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