The case for Patrick Patterson at PF next year

[teamLeiweke]

1) Masai, Casey, the players have all said Val is ready for a bigger role. He showed flashes in the playoffs of dominating both offensively and defensively in the post-season last year. He has lost weight, become more quicker, and I think was inspired by and closely watched Bismacks impact on the game for our team, trying to emulate his paint play when he stepped in near the end of the year. Getting a PF who needs higher usage than Patt but isn't a star to take us to the next level hinders Vals progress.

2) We need a STRETCH 4. We all know Demar isn't great at 3s. You can't have a PF that is close to the basket too. It clogs up the paint for Demar and Lowry to operate. If you have Demar it's better to have Carroll and a 3pt shooter at PF. Yes he has struggled at times but Patt is that. He is also quicker and good defensively, especially on the pnr. Most PFs that are available are either grinders and play close to the basket like Amir or slower mid range post players like DWest.

3) Why give up any assets unless it's for someone who moves the needle and takes us to the next level with a real shot at beating the Cavs and going to the NBA finals? Someone marginally better won't help us beat the Cavs 4 times in the playoffs (ie Diaw)

4) I know we are impatient and want that big move so desperately. I do too. But I think Masai is waiting until the perfect FA or the perfect trade is available for a true star who puts us into real contention. Once we gut the team for a player or spend a ton of money on one - that's our only shot. We can't get those assets back. We can't do it again mid season or next year. We get one shot when we pull that trigger, and we should make sure it's not for a marginal upgrade but take us to the next level. Marginal changes will not help us beat the Cavs. So why not continue to be flexible, young, keep assets for the right big trade, and continue to develop our young players.

5) Masai is TRYING to get that star PF that does help us go from "good to great" (he got a meeting with Aldridge, raps let it be known they wanted Durant but didn't get a meeting - they even got fined for some of their tactics, and they were in serious negotiations this year for Pau Gasol and Millsap). These players arguably are the type of players that take us from good to great with a real chance at the NBA finals. All these other moves could be marginally better but are basically lateral when it comes to beating the Cavs. So, again, why waste a lot of money or give up youth and assets that could develop into solid players or be used to trade for a star player at anytime in the future, if it doesn't take us to the next level?

6) We can still make a big trade mid-season if Masai doesn't like what he sees.

If Masai decides to go this route, he does need to solidify our bigs on the bench, which is why I think you have heard rumblings of Noel, etc to help replace Biz off the bench. But not to be our new starting PF that takes us to the next level.

Thanks for reading.

You can go ahead and flame me now. Lol.

[Naysorn]

If Patterson made those threes he kept getting in the playoffs, we wouldn't even need to have this conversation right now. Patterson is a good defender and even has a post-game, but we need threes at that position. If he can hit those, he's a solid starter.

[RaptorsLife]

i dont mind patterson starting. contract year im expecting him to go on a tear

[Mr Burns]

I swear we have tried him as the starter before. The guy is just a bonafide bench player

[dalton749]

At this point, id rather give siakim 20 mins a game starting. His college numbers 2nd year were better than faried, which is what I think Masai was going for with the pick. Less rebounding, but better offence, and defence. We just need someone to play balls out at that position and have a low usage.

[djsunyc]

it's his job. i think we will see more dec at the backup 4 too.

[RL82]

Patterson was basically given the starting PF last year but had a horrible camp and got outplayed by Scola. He's a good fit for us at the 4 but is inconsistent. Given the contracts this summer and the cap going up again next summer I hope he works his tail off this off season and be ready right from the start

[teamLeiweke]

If Patterson made those threes he kept getting in the playoffs, we wouldn't even need to have this conversation right now. Patterson is a good defender and even has a post-game, but we need threes at that position. If he can hit those, he's a solid starter.

He is good defensively. Especially in the pick and roll. A lot of these other names floating around are flat footer and slow bigs that would be opposing teams dream to put them or Val in the pnr all game long.

It is also notable to point out that Patt is a good teammate, passionate, a hard worker, has chemistry with these guys (something Masai really values) and has somewhat become a silent leader of our team (something that is also important especially after losing Biz).

If u can get a star, all of that doesn't matter. But to get someone who is a little better who ur not sure how they will mesh, etc, then those things come into play as well.

[Naysorn]

I honestly think we should just force Poeltl to play 30 minutes at the four position and see what happens lol

[hyper316]

PP was penciled in last year as starter, he quickly lost his starter role to scola

[nbafan341]

patrick is not a starter.
there are no pfs in te league available for us to trade for. all the good ones are either concerstones for franchises (like davis and cousins) or are rly old and in contract yrs (milsap -31)

really arent options. I think a sign a trade for leonard might be a great move, hes shown flashes of breaking out. portland hasnt given him money cus neil oshly wants to push for free agents with big names.

the only way masai trades is if its a salary dump, pretty much all his trades were salary dumps to either take on salary or get rid of it while avquiring a pick. hes not made a trade where hes given anything like a good player to immediately return with another good player.

thats why I say hes fools gold. he gets lucky. he didbt expect powell to be a first rounder. ppl dont realize the kinds of trades masai has made. what has he done? hes gotten trades done to clear salary or gain salary. hes scouted talent in the draft and he sometimes gets lucky with norman powell rly making him look good the same way that the rudy gay trade made him look hood and the same way that thr knicks trade look good cus he got luxky. all of those trades were unexpected to turn out the way they did. he doesnt make a trade where he trades a good player and gets back another good player. for example, trading valancuinas for another good player like derrick favors--juat an example.

dont be fooled by masai, hes a good scout, an eye for underrated signings and talent, but he got extremely lucky so dont hail him like hes the best gm, timing is everything. colangelo may have done knee jerk trades but colangelo is the one who brought lowry derozan ans valancuinqs in.

[TheGoodDoctor]

You didn't need to make a case when there is no other option.

[DreamTeam09]

You're not making a case of him starting, it's our only option because of our GM. We tried to start him, didn't work before. Now he's in a contract year getting starting minutes, geez. He's going to out price us now.

[DreamTeam09]

You didn't need to make a case when there is no other option.

We have been on the same page brother

[teamLeiweke]

You didn't need to make a case when there is no other option.

I lot of people here are still hoping we sign Amir Johnson, Terrence Jones or Jordan Hill.

They also hope we trade for a Faried or someone like that.

And many are disappointed we didn't trade for a Thaddeus Young, Boris Diaw or David West.

[fame]

Rather see Poeltl start

We know what Pat can do. He's a solid guy off the bench but nothing more and I doubt he ever will be. Shot is too inconsistent, defense is overrated but he has good games here and there and is a team player.

[bboyskinnylegs]

I don't really care if we start him or not (I think he's better suited coming off the bench, but as it stands now he's probably the de facto starting PF), but I hope we deal him before next summer. I do not want to be paying him the kind of money he's likely to command when the cap jumps even higher next summer. Hopefully we can extract a decent asset for him in a trade before then.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

1. We have no one else

But seriously, if all we wanna do is replace Scola, that doesn't take a great pf, or we could just keep Scola, and let youngsters press him for minutes and learn.

But Scola was starter in name only Pat got most of the minutes.

[T-d0t]

I'd just start Poeltl and see where it goes or if we re-sign Thompson

[nbafan341]

doesnt matter if you rather see poetl start. I for one, love poetl, but i value us grtting better without sacrificing our team's potential. masai can def trade ross or patterson, players whove peaked and let someone hungry like powell take minutes and even delon. poetl and delon off the bench will run an offense as smooth as jose did when he was our pg.

masai doesnt grt a free pass, he doesnt make any risky trades, he wants yo be a clear winner in any move before getting it done.