Patterson’s frontcourt flexibility helps Thunder
The times have changed in the Thunder’s rotation. For evidence, look no further than the power forward position.
From Day 1 of training camp last season, Carmelo Anthony was a rooted in as a starter at the 4-spot. Barring injury, Anthony was kept there by Thunder coach Billy Donovan for 78 regular-season games and a swift first-round playoff exit.
It took Donovan only three games this season to get more democratic with his frontcourt minutes.
While Patrick Patterson was supposed to be the shoe-in starter for his ability to create spacing on offense with his 3-point shot, Donovan hasn’t wasted time in working to get the veteran back into a comfort zone, even at the expense of a starting spot.
For the last two games, Donovan determined Jerami Grant was a better option than Patterson in the starting lineup.
“There’s things we have to do in this game I think Jerami helps us with,” Donovan said before Sunday’s win against the Suns.
And those things are? “I don’t know if you want me to give you the whole game plan now, but it wouldn’t be a great idea,” Donovan joked.
Patterson’s struggles didn’t make it a difficult decision. He slumped in the Thunder’s first three games, shooting 5-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-12 from 3-point range. He was even struggling through three quarters against the Celtics on Thursday, ending Boston’s surging third with an inexplicable close-range miss at the buzzer.
Patterson stayed underneath the basket for a few seconds, looking up at the rim. He emerged in the fourth quarter with buoyed spirits.
Back in the reserve role he’s played most of his career, Patterson is 9-of14 from the field (3-of-6 from 3) in the Thunder’s last five quarters.
It hasn’t been a perfect time share. The Thunder’s spacing suffered with Grant playing most of the last six minutes against the Celtics. When Nerlens Noel tweaked his left ankle with 8:57 remaining against the Suns, the Thunder was outscored 30-12 with Patterson in his place. Twelve of those points came in the paint on nine shots.
Donovan put that more on the Thunder’s guards — Dennis Schroder and Alex Abrines played a majority of the quarter — than Noel being out or Patterson’s defense.
“I think Patrick did as good of a job as he could,” Donovan said. “We didn’t necessarily give up layups to (DeAndre) Ayton on postups, it was more reverse jumpshots, jump-hooks. I think we gave up some drives going down the lane.
“To me that’s less about Steven and Nerlens because my question is ‘how is the ball getting down the lane?’”
Patterson’s brief flash of production in his customary reserve role doesn’t mean Grant has supplanted him for good as the starter. Donovan likes Grant against four-guard units, as he’s more adept to switching defensive assignments than Patterson, or Anthony was last season.
Anthony established from the jump a bench role in Oklahoma City wasn’t happening. What the Thunder lost in raw offensive numbers from the future Hall of Famer, it gained in flexibility — not just in interchanging Grant and Patterson, but in Donovan being able to make the decision at all.
That’s not blaming Anthony, but highlighting Patterson’s openness. Maybe the Thunder, with Patterson willing to find his game as a starter or a reserve, will be better for it.
“I thought Jerami did a great job in that first unit, using his size, his speed, his quickness to switch, play great defense,” Patterson said between the Celtics and Suns games. “We all talked about it; we all were on the same page.”