Utility Over Hype: Torrey Craig’s Playing Time Outshines Other Veterans in Showcase
Patrick Williams has had a terrible start to the season, and I saw someone who didn’t look physically right. This was confirmed over the course of last week, as Williams and the Bulls did their usual injury communication dance where they say everything is good, then it’s maybe not good but they’re not worried, to then yep he’s out.
Based on past experience, it’s “see ya next season, Pat”. He’ll still be only 24!
For the game in Milwaukee that was Williams’s first absence, nearly 34-year-old Torrey Craig was taken from out of the rotation entirely and inserted in the starting lineup. Somewhat strange it wasn’t simply next man up with backup forwards Julian Phillips or Matas Buzelis starting, but I suppose Billy Donovan wanted more strength and experience especially in a matchup versus Giannis Antentokounmpo.
Craig didn’t exactly help on that front, as Giannis trucked over him and everyone else on his way to 41 points (and that’s with missing 7 FTs). But on offense Craig was great, in nearly 28 minutes had 15 points on 10 FGA (3/7 from three), with 2 offensive rebounds and 2 assists to zero turnovers.
For one thing, Craig showed just how low a bar it’s been for Williams – 5th option on offense who can contribute in other ways – that he hasn’t cleared this season. If Pat did this attack of a defensive switch, a certain subset of Bulls fans would be saying it shows Pat has the dog or whatever is holding him back in his career.
