OKC Thunder: Signing Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson creates options
After signing Paul George, the OKC Thunder decided to add depth and experience to their bench with the signings of Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson. These two will join the Thunder’s quest to gain more offense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder added Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton last week to the team, and they should be able to have an instant impact with their strengths and roles that they play.
Patterson is a stretch-4 type player. He can step out and shoot the three, which the OKC Thunder need after finishing dead last in the league in three-point shooting percentage. Patterson spent the last four seasons with Toronto going on playoff runs, which means that he adds experience to the Thunder’s roster and the young players they have will be able to lean on him deeper into the season.
The Thunder made the playoffs this past season and were booted in the first round — a disappointing end considering Russell Westbrook‘s MVP season. In four seasons in the playoffs, Patterson has played in 41 playoff games and shot 33 percent from the three-point mark in those games.
The Thunder will need his experience and shooting to help them win games in the regular season and the playoffs. Patterson wants to be in OKC as well, which is big. He wants the opportunity to win games and he wants to be happy, which is what he thinks OKC will do for him.
The All-Stars and superstars that the Thunder have no doubt affected his decision. Between the new addition of Paul George and Russell Westbrook winning MVP, the Thunder are an attractive place to play now because of their potential to win games next season.
“(It was) the opportunity to win, the opportunity to compete for a championship and be with a team that’s just as hungry as I am,” Patterson said. “To play alongside with All-Stars and superstars, to be reunited with Coach Donovan again and just being in an overall environment that I can be happy, be myself and flourish and have the utmost fun. That’s what it all came down to.”
Patterson was recruited by Donovan when he was coming out of high school but he ultimately chose Kentucky instead of Florida, where Donovan was coaching at the time. Now, Patterson finally gets to play for Donovan.
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“I told him when I saw him, ‘It only took 10 years,’” Donovan said.
Raymond Felton will have the job of backing up Russell Westbrook, which was a problem last year for the Thunder. The two backups for the team were Semaj Christon and Norris Cole, who combined for four points a game.
Felton averaged seven points a game last year, so there will be more points coming from the backup point guard role. Christon was a rookie last year and Cole has played six years. Felton has played 13 seasons for six different teams and averaged 11.9 points a game during those seasons, so the Thunder are getting an experienced backup.
“Sometimes having youth is a good thing, but sometimes it can hurt in big games,” Felton said. “It can hurt in big situations. Experience, I think, helps a whole lot. But I think the main thing me and Patrick are going to bring to this team is just all-out competitors, guys who just want to win.”
Felton has career averages of 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 32 percent from the three-point line. That means he can start a fast break, set up the offense and knock down a long ball every now and then. Those attributes are big for a team that lacked offensive firepower last year.
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Patterson and Felton have played on teams that were contenders and have played in big games, but they have never played for a championship-caliber team. With the new addition of Paul George and the added depth of these two players, the Thunder may be able to help these two players realize that dream.