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Toronto Raptors: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Phil Watson

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Jan 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans at Air Canada Centre. The Pelicans beat the Raptors 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans at Air Canada Centre. The Pelicans beat the Raptors 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Three Key Storylines (cont.)

3. Can the Raptors thrive with Patrick Patterson in the starting lineup?

Patrick Patterson is looking at the starting power forward spot as his.

“I see it as it’s mine to lose. … But it’s all about what coach (Dwane) Casey wants, what (general manager) Masai (Ujiri) sees and who works hard and who earns it,” Patterson told The Toronto Star last month.

Patterson averaged eight points and 5.3 rebounds in 26.6 minutes a game last year, starting four of the 81 games he played, while Amir Johnson made 72 starts at the power forward spot.

Johnson’s in Boston now and Patterson thinks he can step up his game. He shot 37.1 percent from 3-point range last season—solid stretch-4 numbers to go with a career mark of 37 percent—and the Raptors would be thrilled if he could shoot it like he did in the 48 games after he was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in 2013.

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After being acquired as part of the return package for Rudy Gay, Patterson canned 41.1 percent from deep in 2013-14.

The Raptors added another legitimate perimeter threat in DeMarre Carroll, who is slated to start at the 3 after shooting 39.5 percent from long range for the 60-win Atlanta Hawks a season ago.

Patterson has only started 65 games in his career—38 of them when he was in his second year with the Houston Rockets in 2012-13 before being traded to Sacramento—and last season’s 26.6 minutes per game was a career-high and was the third-highest on the club behind Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

At age 26, the former 14th-overall pick is ostensibly entering his prime.

And given the only other legitimate option, Luis Scola, is 35 and hasn’t played 30 minutes a game since his last year with the Houston Rockets in 2011-12, Patterson is right: It’s his job to lose.

It’s what he does with it that might hold a big key to the Raptors’ 2015-16 season.

Next: Best, Worst Case Scenarios

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