Williams still isn’t rebounder the Bulls need him to become

CHARLOTTE — Patrick Williams did not record a rebound Friday night.

That’s a problem for the Bulls. It would be one thing if this were a fluke. But Williams’ lack of presence on the boards has been a pattern dogging an otherwise positive season of growth for the third-year forward.

In the last 48 minutes Williams played, he had only one rebound. He hasn’t grabbed an offensive board in three games. In two of the last 13 games, Williams recorded only one rebound. In two others, he didn’t snag a single one.

When faced with the question of whether his rebounding is living up to his expectations, Williams’ answer was immediate: “Definitely not.”

“There’s another level that I can get to,” Williams told the Tribune. “Really it’s just a mindset thing.”

With five games remaining in the regular season, the Bulls are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, three ahead of the Washington Wizards for the last spot in the play-in tournament. They are only one game out of the No. 8 spot heading into their matchup Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies at the United Center (2:30 p.m., NBCSCH).

The Bulls are already small. But if the 6-foot-7 Williams doesn’t play up to his size, they begin to shrink even further against some of the tougher backcourts in the league.

Coach Billy Donovan’s stated goal has been to develop Williams into a consistent double-digit rebounder. But Williams has recorded only one double-digit rebounding night this season — in a Jan. 23 win against the Atlanta Hawks.

“It’s gotten better but we need it to be more consistent,” Donovan said. “When he does go, he’s an elite rebounder and he’s got great strength. He’s a guy in very, very tight spaces that gets off the floor and can really rebound.”

Even with their lack of size, the Bulls have done well to fend off second chances this season, sitting seventh in the league in defensive rebounds per game (33.9) and third in defensive rebounding percentage (74.7%). But it’s a different story on the opposite end of the court. The Bulls are third-last in offensive rebounds (8.6) and last in second

chance points (10.9).

This is an area in which Williams could — and should — lift the Bulls.

“Seeing what happens when I do, that creates the biggest motivation for me,” Williams said. “I get more involved in the game when I do it, I have better flow when I do it. It’s not easy — but nothing is.”

Donovan is quick to note that rebounding has changed. The proliferation of the 3-point shot has led to a higher volume of ricocheting long balls, which places a higher burden of rebounding on perimeter players.

And there are times when it makes more sense for players to abandon pursuit — for instance, the Bulls coaching staff has instructed Williams to get back on defense whenever he’s positioned above the freethrow line at the time his teammate takes a shot.

But even with the caveats, Donovan still feels Williams isn’t pulling the trigger enough.

“Based on where he is on the floor, there’s going to be shots that are not going to be in its vicinity and there’s going to be shots that fall around where he’s at,” Donovan said. “He’s got to go chase those. There’s no question that he could be better at that.”

Rebounding isn’t all that technical. The best rebounders master the footwork and timing necessary to go airborne at the right point, but the bulk of winning the boards comes down to a physical seal and an immense amount of effort in pursuing the ball.

Williams consistently emphasizes that it’s not an issue of technique. And Donovan’s main urging to the forward is simple: Just go.

“We’re not necessarily charting how many rebounds he gets but how consistently he is going,” Donovan said. “Because there’s times where he can go really, really hard from the left corner, but if the ball comes off to the right wing, he’s not getting that. There’s been times he has been really, really good. There’s times that he can be better.”

Williams knows it all comes down to a mentality, an aggressiveness the Bulls have been trying to coax out of him for three seasons. He has shown improved bite on other ends of the court — swatting blocks as he picks up key defensive assignments, crushing dunks through the rim.

Building confidence has been key for Williams all season. When he can establish himself in the first quarter, Williams feels he produces at a more consistent rate. But if a quarter or two slips by without a rebound, Williams often grows softer on the boards as the game progresses.

So if it all starts in his head, what’s the next step for Williams to build himself into a more physical presence on the boards?

The forward believes the key is in repetition.

“Do it. Then do it again,” Williams said. “That’s about it.”