A most improved Patrick Patterson

As a young NBA player looking to find your way in the league, it’s common to head into an offseason with a plan to improve a specific area of your game that has already been deemed a strength.

Are you a spot up three-point shooter? Work on that. Are you a pretty good perimeter defender? Work on that. Are you particularly adept at making worthwhile decisions handling a pick-and-roll? Work on that. Everyone wants to achieve LeBron James levels of entirety, but for the majority it’s just not realistic, and most lengthy careers are birthed from a niche: one elite area where an identity can be formed.

As someone who spends their time complimenting the league’s “LeBrons” (80% of the NBA), toiling on a weakness could be viewed as a waste of time and energy. (For example, Steve Novak is paid to shoot three-pointers. When he’s working on his game in August, drives to the basket and pull up 15-footers shouldn’t be on the syllabus.)

Heading into his third NBA season, Patrick Patterson chose to go against the grain, and it’s a decision that so far has paid off ten fold for both himself, and the Houston Rockets. 

Right before our eyes, Patterson has suddenly become an above average NBA player. As a full-time starter for the first time in his career, he’s doubled his scoring and is posting a PER five points higher than last seasons. But simple increases in scoring aren’t nearly as surprising or impressive as how he’s getting it done.

One day during an anonymous workout over the summer, Patterson was probably shooting spot up jumpers—working himself around the court just above the elbow—when he stopped and realized that his own value (and as a byproduct, his minutes) would rise dramatically if he stepped a foot or two further back and cultivated a slightly more difficult shot instead.

Here are two shot charts contrasting Patterson’s 2011-12 season with the current campaign.

Last season:

 A most improved Patrick Patterson

This season:

 A most improved Patrick Patterson

Here’s the rundown:

  • Through 15 games he’s shooting 37.5% from behind the three-point line on 2.1 attempts per game.
  • In his first two seasons Patterson attempted a total of five long balls, and made none.
  • 17.2% of all his attempted shots have come from behind the three-point line, up from 0.6% last year.
  • One in four of all his fourth quarter baskets are coming from made three-pointers.
  • The percentage of his offense that’s come from mid-range jump shots has fallen from 44.5% last year to just 28.3% this year.

The areas of Patterson’s game that have shown the most improvement lie parallel with the style Houston prefers to play. When he’s on the court the Rockets’ pace leaps to 99.03 possessions per 48 minutes, which is highest for all players on the team who’ve seen action in at least nine games. Houston wants to run, and they can when one of their forwards is a bruiser who’s also dangerous from behind the arc.

If he keeps up what he’s doing, Patterson will soon be reputed around the league as a “stretch four,” that rare, super valuable breed of big man who can stretch defenses, play on various units, and create matchup problems all over the court.

Heading into this season it appeared his career would be headed down the path of someone like Brandon Bass, a muscle-bound power forward who’s elite at knocking down mid-range jump shots, popping on pick-and-rolls, and playing so-so individual defense with rebounding abilities that are nothing to write home about.

Instead we have this: A guy who’s brought his shot all the way out to the sideline, can run the floor and finish on the break, and defend the post with patience, strength, and technical intelligence. On defense he’s fouling less, getting in great position more times than not, and trusting the abilities of Omer Asik or Greg Smith should he get beat off the dribble.

According to Synergy, Patterson is allowing 0.73 points per possession in the post, making him one of the 25 best post defenders in the league. In 34 attempted shots, opponent’s are shooting 35.3%. (Last year he gave up 0.96 PPP in post-up situations, good for 220th in the league. Opponents shot 46.6%.)

The three-point phenomenon shouldn’t be something to throw a parade over just yet. Keep in mind he’s only made 12 all year, and nearly all of them came with no defenders within six feet of his body. But the ideology of Patterson making these shots impacts how defenses will defend both him and the Rockets moving forward, and that has serious value in ultimately determining wins and losses.

NBA players are professionals who’re “supposed” to improve aspects of their game each summer their first few years in the league. Everyone has their limit, and it’s up to each individual to find his. Instead of becoming the best mid-range, pick-and-pop shooter he could be, and likely slogging himself through an unspectacularly solid 6-10 year career, Patrick Patterson chose to expand his game. It’s a drastic change from what we projected him to be, and the Rockets should be grateful.

Twitter: @MichaelVPina

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Total comments: 6
  • rocketrick says 2 weeks ago Just wondering if Greg Smith might be able to handle some playing time at the 4 this season for the Rockets. I would like to see the combination of Greg Smith and Asik getting some playing time together to see how they would mesh. It probably wouldn't work because neither has an outside shot and this tandem wouldn't be able to spread the floor as effectively as when Patrick Patterson is in the game.
  • rocketrick says 2 weeks ago In my mind, Marcus Morris is more of a 3, or at minimum, a tweener between the 3 and 4. He just doesn't have the bulk to play against some of the more powerful 4's in our league. If Motiejunas or Jones could develop their game better, perhaps they would have some opportunity playing backup 4 to Patterson on certain nights when the opposing team has more powerful 4's on the floor. It seems Marcus Morris is getting opportunities against smaller 4's the early part of the season (and more powerful 4's to this point of the season simply because the rookies haven't proven themselves ready for regular game action) but I just don't see that happening for the entire season. Morris has certainly shown some positive signs and I hope he can settle into playing the 3 on a more regular basis at some point in the season. It will be difficult, to say the least, for Morris to move past Chandler Parsons and Carlos Delfino in the rotation they way both have started off this season and instead may have to rely more on opportunities when one of our regular guys misses some games due to injury and will need to shine when those opportunities come along as they will..
  • Bigtkirk says 2 weeks ago I'm curious as to how many points the Rockets are averaging per 100 minutes with Patterson in the lineup in comparison to say, Morris.
  • Winkfan says 3 weeks ago I don't really understand the premise of this article. Patterson took an area of strength, his jump shot, and improved it with added range. He didn't add a new skill.
  • ale11 says 3 weeks ago 100% agreed on last comment. I think we all feel the same way about it
  • goRockets says 3 weeks ago Yup having a stretch 4 is very valuable for Rockets, will help open up the floor for Lin and Harden, making them more dangerous to opponents as well by keeping defenses honest. Nice to see Rockets, though so young, have a lot of talented players who are capable of scoring. It's a pick your poison kind of offense. Not to mention both Harden and Lin can play the point pretty effectively and are great pick and roll guards, who are aggressive attacking the basket. Also helps to have a team with so many shooters who can be dangerous shooting the 3 ball, Parsons, Patterson, Harden, Lin, Delfino, Morris, etc.

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