THREES AND ZEROS
Raptors’ three-point specialist Patrick Patterson enters contract year with free-agent bonanza in sight — he wants to earn it.
Patrick Patterson is a pragmatist. He realizes where he is in his professional life and doesn’t sugarcoat his goals.
“It’s a contract year,” the Toronto Raptors forward said Tuesday. “Everybody wants to get paid and I’m one of those guys.”
Now, before the knives come out to carve the 27-year-old for being selfish and putting his own financial gains ahead of team goals, the next sentences out of his mouth should calm those up in arms.
“I want to be successful. I want my team — most importantly — to be successful,” said Patterson, who could very well treble the $6 million he’ll make with Toronto this season when he becomes an unrestricted free-agent in July.
“I want this to be a successful year for all of us, myself included, so going into this year the focus is a lot more different.
“My attitude and demeanour, the way I carry myself on and off the court, is going to be drastically different than years before.”
No one has seen how that new demeanour will manifest itself because the Raptors are in the middle of what seems to be a never-ending pre-season, and everyone is basically biding time until the Oct. 26 regular-season opener against the Pistons. Patterson, who sat out one of Toronto’s first five games, hasn’t done an awful lot, but who has? The hard work comes in practice, and teammates and coaches have noticed a difference away from the prying eyes of the media.
“Patrick is doing a great job of playing with the basketball off the dribble,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s got the step-back move. Last year at this time he was turning down threepoint shots. Now he’s taking what the game is giving him.
“Last year at this time he was working his pump-fake, drive. This year he’s taking shots, he’s knocking it down, he’s doing a good job of mixing it up. He’s really maturing into a very seasoned, mature player even
“He’s really maturing into a very seasoned, mature player even though he’s still pretty young.” RAPTORS COACH DWANE CASEY ON THE PROGRESS OF 27-YEAR-OLD PATRICK PATTERSON
though he’s still pretty young.” For someone chronologically young, Patterson is an NBA veteran. He’s about to enter his seventh season and understands the need to change to survive.
His reputation as a three-point shooting power forward is wellearned and well-known. Now opponents are taking that shot away from him, and he has to adapt or the riches he wants won’t materialize.
“It all started in workouts this summer,” Patterson said. “Get moves with my back to the basket, and just deciding which way is easier for me to go — whether it’s left or right shoulder — and just deciding if I want to shoot a turnaround jump shot or finish with a skyhook, and just replicating that over and over in every workout.”