Raptors will miss Patterson’s value on and off the court
Patrick Patterson may be nearing the end of his time in Toronto, but there is no denying his importance to their team success and his impact on his adopted city of Toronto.
Patrick Patterson is the last player still on the Raptors from the, now famous, Rudy Gay trade with the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season. Though originally thought of as step one in Masai Ujiri’s rebuilding plan, the trade that brought Patterson along with three other key contributing players to Toronto was the catalyst for that year’s division title and the success of the last four seasons.
Some players just fit on a team. They are by no means stars, but their presence in the lineup makes everything else fall into place. For the past three and half seasons, Dwane Casey has had the luxury of not having to worry about Patterson’s role on the team.
Whether he is starting or coming off the bench, the Raptors are a much better team when Patrick Patterson is on the floor and playing well. He is the perfect stretch forward the modern day NBA game demands good teams have. On the defensive end he has quick feet which allows him to defend multiple positions fairly well and provide good help defense, which is especially important when he is sharing the front-court with an inferior defender, such as Jonas Valanciunas.
He provides a lot of value on the other side of the court also. Patterson has the ability to stretch the floor, shooting over 37 per cent from three-point range in his four seasons in Toronto. He is one of the few Raptors who is able and willing to get the ball moving. He has the ability to swing the ball around the perimeter or drive and kick to open shooters, which refreshing to see on a team that moves the ball so little and relies so much on one-on-one isolation basketball.
A fan favourite on and off the court
Basketball fans in Toronto not only appreciate Patterson’s abilities on the court they also appreciate his warm personality off the court.
Few players that I can remember have embraced the city and the community as much as the Kentucky alum has, even going as far as penning a letter to the fans on the Players Tribune before the 2016 playoffs. In it he talks about his journey with the Raptors and how much he admires the diversity of the fan base, as opposed to his days with the University of Kentucky.
Patterson has used his love of cinema to connect even more with the city. He has attended many films at the Toronto International Film Festival and inviting fans to watch special movie screenings with him.
Does Patrick Patterson have a future with the Raptors?
The 2016-17 season may have been his last in Toronto. The power forward hits free agency in one of the most interesting and important off-seasons in the Raptors’ history. The team is facing some tough decisions on some of their biggest names, with some potentially high price tags. Patterson may be a casualty of the Raptors’ financial flexibility and the NBA’s salary cap.
Based on some reports, it seems the Raptors are committed to resigning both Ibaka and Lowry, which would eat up their cap space. Unless the team is willing to pay deep into the luxury tax for the same team that clearly couldn’t compete with Cleveland, it is a realistic possibility that Patterson will take his talents elsewhere.
Though this may be the end of the line for Patrick Patterson with the Raptors’ organization, he will be remembered fondly for his role in the Raptors success over the last four seasons and for his contributions and embracing of the city.
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