Atlanta Hawks Player Preview: Lamar Patterson

Height: 6’5

Age: 24

Entering 1st NBA Season

College: Pittsburgh

Lamar Patterson #13 2014-2015 Stats (with Tofas Bursa in Turkey)

11.2 points per game
3.4 rebounds per game
2.2 assists per game
1 steal per game
50 percent field goal percentage
35.3 percent three-point percentage
73.4 percent free-throw percentage

2014-2015 Season Recap

Heading into the preseason most of the Atlanta Hawks roster is in place. 14 players have fully guaranteed contracts, that leaves one spot on the roster open for a player like Edgar Sosa, Terran Petteway, Arsalan Kazemi, DeQuan Jones or, most notably, Lamar Patterson.

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Patterson played parts of five seasons (his freshman season was cut short due to an ankle injury) at Pittsburgh before using up his eligibility after the 2013-2014 season. That season he was Pittsburgh’s best player, averaging 17.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on 44.1 percent shooting. He was named second team All-ACC by the ACC coaches and media, and AP All-American honorable mention, while leading the Panthers to an NCAA Tournament berth.

After the season Patterson entered the 2014 NBA Draft. He was selected as the 48th overall pick in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks. On draft night the Bucks traded Patterson to the Hawks.

He played the 2014 NBA summer league season with the Hawks, but he would not be with the team during the regular season. Instead Patterson elected to sign with Tofas Bursa in the Turkish Basketball League. He played well during his time in Turkey, averaging 11.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting in 29 games.

That success led to another invite to play with the Hawks during their summer league season. Patterson’s play during the 2015 summer league stood out. He averaged 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game over 7 games this past summer, after which the Hawks offered him a partially guaranteed contract with an invite to training camp.

2015-2016 Season Preview

Jason Richardson’s retirement opened the door wide open for Lamar Patterson to nab that final roster spot. What appeared like an outside chance of making the team now seems like a certainty. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution recently noted that Patterson’s play during training camp is getting noticed. Jeff Teague is even paying attention to his play.

"“Everybody is playing hard,” Teague said. “Everybody is playing well. Lamar Patterson is playing well. He’s a skill player, making good shot, making good passes, playing good defense.”"

That type of praise is not surprising. During his Pittsburgh career Patterson was a jack of all trades. He was a solid shooter, he could score off the dribble and he was an exceptional defender. If given time to develop, I could see him turning himself into an NBA rotation player. He seems like a “glue guy” in the making. He also has a pet alligator which is something you only see with successful people. Only the realest of the real own gators. I’d be shocked if Young Jeezy didn’t own at least two alligators. It will just take the right situation for Patterson to make that success happen. Atlanta may boast too much talent for him to see any significant playing time.

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Despite the early rave reviews, don’t expect much from Patterson even if he makes the team. He’s a talented player, but the Hawks have a fairly stable wing rotation. Even with DeMarre Carroll leaving town they still have Kyle Korver, Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday vying for minutes in the wing rotation. That leaves Patterson on the bench except during situations when one of those players gets injured or he gets some run during garbage time.

Still, I don’t expect that to bother Patterson. He will just be happy to make the team. Patterson was kind enough to do a question and answer session with Soaring Down South earlier last month. During that exchange he made it clear that he wants to prove himself to the organization in any way possible. Here is what he had to say about going to training camp with the Hawks and why he should make the team:

"“Just show that I can play defense and knock down the three and also create easy shots for my teammates. I feel those things at this moment will not only help me to stick with the Hawks but eventually also help me to potentially earn playing time because I play team basketball and I will do whatever it takes to get better and help this team win.”"

Can Patterson outlast the competition and crack the 15 man roster? We’ll know in less than a month. In the meantime, the Hawks hit the court for their first preseason game Wednesday October 7th against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Look for Patterson to get some playing time towards the end of the game when Mike Bundenholzer has removed most of the starters. Grab some popcorn, your best pals and your pet alligator to watch the Hawks begin their quest towards the NBA Finals.

Next: Hawks Depth Chart Preview: Big Men

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