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Atlanta Hawks: Lamar Patterson Heads To Turkey

By Adam McGee

Mar 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Lamar Patterson (21) against the Florida Gators in the first half of a men
Mar 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Lamar Patterson (21) against the Florida Gators in the first half of a men /
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Mar 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Lamar Patterson (21) passes the ball as Florida Gators guard Scottie Wilbekin (5) defends in the first half of a men’s college basketball game during the third round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Lamar Patterson (21) passes the ball as Florida Gators guard Scottie Wilbekin (5) defends in the first half of a men’s college basketball game during the third round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

It should have come as no real surprise last week when news broke that the Atlanta Hawks were sending Lamar Patterson to play in Europe for the upcoming season. Originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick, Patterson ended up a Hawk following a draft day deal between the two teams.

With the Hawks having bolstered their depth on the wings in free agency, and as one of a number of teams without a D-League affiliate, the logical conclusion was that Patterson would be sent abroad to play meaningful minutes. This expectation became a reality last Tuesday, when Sportando tweeted confirming the deal, and the location to which Patterson would be sent.

Tofas S.K. is one of 16 teams playing in the competitive Turkish Basketball League. Based in Bursa, a large city in Turkey’s northwest, Tofas also competes in EuroChallenge, Europe’s third tier cross-continent professional basketball competition. In other words, Tofas is a reputable organization, which should provide Patterson with plenty of competitive basketball.

The deal sending Patterson to Europe is reminiscent of what the Hawks did with Mike Muscala, their second-round pick from 2013. Muscala played for Obradoiro in Spain’s Liga Endesa, and thrived playing high level minutes. When the Hawks suffered injuries late in the season, they knew Muscala was ready to contribute professionally and brought him back to Atlanta to offer help.

Of course, things might break differently for Patterson, but even by watching Muscala’s development in the recent Las Vegas Summer League, it’s clear just how big an impact playing time, and high level competition can have on rookies who weren’t necessarily regarded as top prospects entering the NBA.

Let’s take a closer look at what exactly Patterson, and others sent to Europe, can gain from the experience.

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