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NBA: Under The Radar Reserves Contributing Big Time

By Simon Smith

Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) reacts to his three pointer in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Gerald Henderson (12) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) reacts to his three pointer in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Gerald Henderson (12) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /

Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors

Patterson’s numbers this season do not jump straight off the page. He is currently posting 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 36.5 percent overall from the field. His contributions, however, have been invaluable. Patterson, along with backup point guard Cory Joseph, has led the Raptors’ bench to having the best plus-minus rate in the league with a +4.3.

For his part, Patterson has been an exceptional +8.6 when on the floor. Despite his shooting numbers, Patterson’s ability to stretch the floor and allow the Raptors’ All-Star guards in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to create for the team.

His three-point shooting, however, has been solid. Patterson is hitting at a 36.2 percent clip on 1.6 three-pointers made per game. And as he demonstrates on the clip below, he is more adept at putting the ball on the floor:

But it’s on the defensive end of the floor where Patterson has flourished and helped the Raptors excel. At 6’9″ and 235 pounds, Patterson has the ability to guard a myriad of players. As the Raptors’ nominal stretch-4, he can just as adequately cover players on the perimeter while also handling opponents down low.

Offensive Rating (Toronto’s points scored per 100 possessions)

  • Patterson On Court: 117.1
  • Patterson Off Court: 108.7

Defensive Rating (Opposition points scored per 100 possessions)

  • On Court: 102.2
  • Off Court: 108.6

These equate to a net rating of +14.8 with Patterson on the floor, and just +0.2 when resting. This represents a substantial difference.

Patterson is currently playing 28.4 minutes per game and hasn’t started a single game this season. With the numbers listed above, many may argue why he isn’t starting, or at least playing more.

However, Patterson is playing when it matters. He is averaging 10.3 minutes per game in the fourth quarter, second overall in the league for players who have played at least 25 games off the bench this season. Tyler Johnson of the Miami Heat is ranked first.

Shooting guard DeRozan recently praised Patterson’s contributions:

"“You put Pat out there and he’s got one of the highest IQs on the team. His ability to knock down shots, understanding plays defensively, offensively, he’s always two steps ahead with you. He’s got a feel for every one of us. We’ve been playing together for some years now and you can obviously tell that once Pat goes in I think it just brings us all together.”"

With the Raptors again second in the Eastern Conference standings this season, Patterson’s contributions are going to be vital come the business end of the season.