Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Justin Patton's rookie season

Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Justin Patton’s rookie season

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 22: Justin Patton speaks with the media after being selected 16th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves at the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Pellegrino/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3 of 6

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 31: Justin Patton #23 of the Creighton Bluejays looks on against the Butler Bulldogs during the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 31, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Creighton defeated Butler 76-67. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Become a more effective screener

At Creighton, Patton was a beast out of the pick-and-roll. He scored 1.37 points per possession using the play, but he slipped the screen too often for my liking. Patton is extremely athletic, but he doesn’t consistently make contact on his screens. At this stage of the game he has excelled by being nimble in the paint, but in the NBA he will need to finish with authority around the rim.

Per Hoop-Math.com, Patton shot 80 percent at the rim. That figure will obviously trend toward the mean at the pro level. But if Patton starts putting a body on the players he’s screening, he will see more lobs and easy finishes.

Patton was an advanced stats darling in college, and I believe that will carry over to the NBA. His pick-and-roll game and his hustle allow him to effective even he doesn’t posses the ball. Setting better (and harder) screens is the key to creating offensive mismatches, and it will also be the key to Patton getting playing time under the notoriously-tough-on-rookies Tom Thibodeau.

Home/Minnesota Timberwolves