Rookie Patrick Williams gets the start as Bulls hammer Thunder

The Bulls were shorthanded in their first road preseason game, but coach Billy Donovan said Williams starting over Otto Porter Jr. is an ongoing discussion among the coaching staff.

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Coach Billy Donovan says rookie Patrick Williams is in the mix to get a starting spot.

Coach Billy Donovan says rookie Patrick Williams is in the mix to get a starting spot.

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Bulls rookie forward Patrick Williams is all for social media. Can you name a 19-year-old who isn’t? But just not these days.

Williams, the fourth overall pick in the draft, says he has kicked the tweets and IGs to the curb since mid-November, only jumping on to give shout-outs to fellow rookies or — like he had to Tuesday — deny a report that he bought a new red BMW.

“I do not have a Linkedin account lol, sorry to disappoint,’’ Williams tweeted out in response to a picture of a new car on a LinkedIn account supposedly belonging to him.

He reiterated that to the media a day later, admitting that there are bigger things going on in his life than the latest dance on TikTok.

Excelling at his craft is a good place to start.

“I really hadn’t been on any type of social media since I’d say, like, a week before draft night,’’ Williams said. “There really wasn’t time to get on Instagram or get on Twitter or Snapchat and things like that. I go so hard in the gym that when I get home, I eat, go to sleep and then it’s just wake up the next day and do it all over again.’’

That hard work is paying off.

Williams was given the start over Otto Porter Jr. in the Bulls’ 124-103 blowout victory over the Thunder on Wednesday, and it might not be a one-time look, either.

According to coach Billy Donovan, the staff will continue discussing the starting-lineup scenarios heading into Friday’s preseason finale and beyond, but Williams is definitely in the mix.

“I think keeping an open mind toward that is not out of the question,’’ Donovan said. “Like I said earlier, I think with Thad [Young] out, [Tomas Satoransky] not here, Garrett [Temple] not here, we’re going to have to figure out what that starting group will look like. How do we come off the bench? Do we take some starters and move some starters in there with the second unit? Just because we’ve been undermanned, I think you have to look at how you try to keep balance for 48 minutes, knowing you’re going to have to stagger.

“But I think the question of Patrick possibly being a starter, I think that we would look at everything in terms of how we best balance the group moving forward.’’

The Bulls (2-1) looked balanced against Oklahoma City, and that was evident early on. The starters helped build a 30-26 first-quarter lead, and the Bulls never looked back. While Williams was a bit passive in that quarter, Donovan has been focusing on how the group functions with different personnel.

If that’s the case, Williams might be better suited to give that starting group a defensive-minded wing, and Porter can stabilize the second unit with his veteran presence.

The Bulls had success against the Thunder, with every starter finishing at least plus-13, and Porter had eight points and 12 rebounds off the bench and was a plus-19.

And the nice thing is Porter reiterated that he has no problem playing any role Donovan wants him to.

“We just have to trust the process,’’ Porter said. “I think if we trust the process and what Billy is trying to do here, I think it’ll work best for us.’’

The Bulls were led by Coby White with 27 points, and Zach LaVine had 24. But after breaking into the starting lineup, Williams was the focus of the night, and he had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

“It’s an experience that I’ll never forget,’’ Williams said of the start. “I just have so much more to get better at, and as the season goes on, I’ll get better.’’

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