Philadelphia 76ers: What to hope for in Justin Patton
By Derek Hryn
Successful recovery
The 76ers are no strangers to waiting on injured talent, which is why they should make Patton comfortable somewhere on the roster.
Patton will join Zhaire Smith as another bright yet injury-disrupted prospect that the team hopes it can utilize at some point down the road. Patton’s debut is still likely to happen first.
He needs to revert to what initially asserted him as a top-20 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft: footwork and rebounding efficiency, stellar athleticism, and of course, the fact that he’s a seven-footer who possesses these attributes.
The Creighton product has played in only one NBA game so far in his short career, but he did average 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game through 38 appearances in the G League last season.
Patton has much more to add to his craft, but he must overcome the current foot issue first. Given that he now has Joel Embiid at his disposal, you could say he’s in good company.