Toronto Raptors: Can Patrick Patterson Turn Season Around?

Patrick Patterson’s currently going through the worst year in his six-year career. Can he regain the form that he’s lost anytime soon for the Toronto Raptors?

Due to the latest setback for DeMarre Carroll, the Toronto Raptors need all the help they can get right now.

That certainly doesn’t mean the team should make a move anytime soon (although anything could always develop) given the team currently ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 23-15.

But for a team that currently uses their bench at 17 minutes per game (good for 24th around the league), they’ll need some help from some of the lesser used players that are presently out of the team’s well-rounded rotation.

However, there’s one player in the team’s rotation that could find himself in a troubling position if he can’t turn around what’s been a deeply disappointing year so far.

That player is Patrick Patterson.

Ever since coming to the team as part of an early season blockbuster deal that sent forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings a little over two years ago, Patterson has carved out a nice role for himself as a stretch-four for the team.

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This year, though, couldn’t be farther from what Patterson has usually been able to produce during his time in Toronto.

While averaging about 23.2 minutes per game, Patterson’s numbers in almost every major statistical category have dipped considerably, but the biggest area of concern has been his shooting efficiency.

Patterson has been a 47 percent shooter from the field and a 36 percent shooter from beyond the arc throughout his career, but his shooting numbers this season are currently at an all-time low as he’s shooting 38 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep this year, per Basketball-reference.com.

Fortunately, Patterson has still been effective even through his ongoing shooting slump as the team is performing better with him on the court (+6.6 OnCourt rating per 100 possessions), but can this effectiveness keep up if Patterson’s shot isn’t falling?

It hasn’t gotten to the point where the opposing team’s defense have altered the way they play him at this point, but Patterson admitted in a great interview with Eric Koreen of the National Post that his continuing shooting woes can affect his performance during a game:

"“When my three isn’t falling, I tend to run myself off the line and try to do too much — penetrate and attack the basket and overthink at times, rather than keep letting it fly,” Patterson said on Tuesday. “Eventually it’ll fall in, it just takes time. (I just have to) stay consistent, stay persistent and just stay confident.”"

It’s certainly the right attitude to have because it can be as simple as players keeping at it if your shot isn’t falling.

However, now that we’re approaching the half-way mark into this year’s season, does Patterson’s disappointing year have an effect on whatever the team decides to do as we get closer to the trade deadline?

It’s no secret the Raptors want to make some noise in the playoffs after bowing out in disappointing fashion the last two years and while they’ll be bigger ramifications if that doesn’t come to fruition this year, Patterson’s place on the team could be in jeopardy if things don’t turn around for him.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he could be traded, but if Toronto can get its hands on a more effective shooter at either forward spot at the deadline, that will certainly affect Patterson’s playing time if that were to happen.

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For now, Patterson just has to keep at it because what shots aren’t falling now could always start falling as soon as tomorrow. For the team’s sake, let’s hope they do.

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Toronto Raptors: Can Patrick Patterson Turn His Season Around?

By Jordan Treske | Jan 9, 2016

Patrick Patterson’s currently going through the worst year in his six-year career. Can he regain the form that he’s lost anytime soon for the Toronto Raptors?