Patrick Patterson report card
Much done well, but athletic ability seems gone
The Thunder signed Patrick Patterson last summer, adding veteran leadership and a track record of quality basketball to the roster. So how did Patterson’s first season in Oklahoma City go?
DPatterson has some lateral quickness that enhances his perimeter defense, but otherwise, he’s barely an NBA-caliber athlete. Patterson did not dunk this season. He had 43 dunks five seasons ago. Patterson’s elevation was gone, either by injury or aging. He took just 34 shots in the restricted area. Alex Abrines, a 3-point specialist if ever there was one, took 37 and played fewer minutes.
Ball movement
APatterson treats the basketball like a hot potato. He shoots or passes immediately. Seventy-nine percent of Patterson’s shots came without a dribble. Patterson averaged 1.32 seconds per possession, sixth smallest in the NBA among players with at least 1,000 minutes. Patterson brings respite on a heavy isolation team like the Thunder.
Rebounding
CPatterson averaged just 2.4 rebounds a game, including a career low 5.5 per 36 minutes. On a team with rebounding guards like Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson, and a center like Steven Adams, heavy rebounding was not required of Patterson. But particularly on the offensive glass (0.9 per 36 minutes, barely more than the backup guards), Patterson was a non-factor. His rebound percentage (number of available rebounds grabbed while on the floor) of 8.4 was the lowest of his career and ahead of only Corey Brewer, Raymond Felton, Abrines and Ferguson.
Long-distance shooting
APatterson spread the floor. That was his chief assignment offensively, and he did that. Patterson made 38.6 percent of his 3-point shots, up from the 37.3 percent he made in four Toronto seasons. And Patterson knew his role — 64.3 percent of his shots this season were from behind the arc; only Abrines and Ferguson had a higher percentage. But among rotational players, Patterson ranked only sixth in 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. He needed to shoot more.
Defense
BPatterson’s defensive numbers weren’t great — his defensive rating was sixth among Thunder rotational players — but he played the majority of his minutes with at least two of the three defensive-challenged backup guards (Felton, Abrines, Ferguson).
Attitude
APatterson was signed ostensibly to start at power forward. Then two days before training camp, Carmelo Anthony arrived via trade. Coupled with a knee injury, that put Patterson slow out of the gate. But he never offered a hint of frustration at playing just 15.5 minutes per game, a career low for his eight NBA seasons.