After an outstanding freshman season at Creighton, Justin Patton is one of the top prospects at the center position in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Who is Justin Patton?
From Omaha, Nebraska, this seven-footer was a surprise for the Creighton Bluejays this past season. After signing with his hometown team out of high school, Justin Patton redshirted his first season before bursting onto the scene for a team that spent some time in the top-10 this season.
An elite player all season long, it seems likely that Patton will declare for the NBA Draft and become a first-round pick.
With his physical gifts and imposing frame, he could be the type of player who rises up draft boards as the draft grows nearer, even potentially becoming a lottery pick.
On the year, Patton averaged the following stats:
| G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 25.3 | 5.7 | 8.5 | .676 | 0.2 | 0.4 | .533 | 1.3 | 2.5 | .517 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 12.9 |
| G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 885 | 9.0 | 13.4 | .676 | 0.4 | 0.7 | .533 | 2.0 | 3.9 | .517 | 9.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 20.5 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/4/2017.
There are several things to look at with this particular prospect, including his possible fit in Milwaukee, so let’s get started looking at Patton’s strengths.
Strengths
As evidenced by his statistics, Justin Patton is an elite shot blocker. He poses a great threat on the defensive end of the floor because he possesses very nice mobility and athleticism for a seven-footer. At just under 20-years-old, he is still a young prospect with lots of room to develop.
On the offensive end, Patton has already shown flashes of talent both inside and outside the arc. He was at his best in close range attempts, and made a fair amount of easy attempts thanks to his point guard Maurice Watson Jr., who was one of the best playmakers in the country before going down with an injury.
As is the case with many of these young collegiate players, a lot of Patton’s game is yet to be polished. He is not likely to be the type of player who can come in and be an impact performer right away, but his potential is off the charts. In fact, of all the talented players in this draft class, Patton could rank near the top in terms of potential.
With the way he has flashed the ability to shoot the three at the collegiate level, he has shown not only the ability to shoot the deep ball, but also the confidence to let it fire. Patton has a lot of skills and versatility, but it will be up to the NBA team that selects him to make sure he makes the most out of what he has been given.
Weaknesses
The major weakness in Patton’s game is inconsistency. Without Maurice Watson Jr. on the floor, Patton was not the same player, as he showed that it is not easy for him to operate when getting the most attention during pregame scouting. Due to how talented Watson was before the injury as a primary playmaker, it is possible that Patton suffered without an elite playmaker on the floor with him.
At the next level, there are even more games in a season and if Patton cannot consistently put up solid performances, it might be difficult for him to get a consistent role on a team. With this inconsistency it seems that Patton is a player who is still a couple of years away from being a real high-impact NBA player.
Obviously, this goes along with the idea that the team drafting Patton has to be willing to work with him for a couple of years to maximize his potential. Patton has shown some great raw talent so far, but it is possible that he spends a fair amount of time on a D-League roster before showing up in even a bench role with a solid NBA franchise.
Either going late lottery or just after gives Patton the advantage of likely sitting behind a veteran center from which he can learn, but his major weaknesses come from being a few years away from reaching his potential as an NBA player.
Current Draft Predictions
(as of 4/5)
Draft Express (Jonathan Givony): 17th
ESPN (Chad Ford): 18th
CBS (Howard Megdal): 14th
Sporting News (Sam Vecenie): 17th
The Step Back (Trevor Magnotti): 14th
Quotes:
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is quoted as saying the following about Patton in article written by Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated:
"“When he first got here, he was so far away from being able to play in a college game,” McDermott says. “I’ve never coached anybody who has come as far and as fast as he has done it.”"
As far as negatives go, it seems as though Patton is in need of an elite playmaker alongside him, as Sam Vecenie alludes to in his article for Sporting News.
"“Patton had an inconsistent finish to the season after point guard Maurice Watson tore his ACL. After getting into double figures in 13 straight games, four of Patton’s final 11 saw him only reach single digits in scoring.”"
Fit in Milwaukee
On the whole, Patton fits the mold of a lot of the Bucks’ most recent draft selections. He is big, long, athletic, and has incredible potential. However, if the team is committed to a lineup featuring Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Thon Maker, it would be interesting to see whether they would want another big man in the first round.
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Still, if Milwaukee wants another project with the potential to be an elite two-way player in the post, Patton could be that guy. I will admit, seeing a frontcourt duo of Thon Maker and Justin Patton could be very scary in a couple of years. Both of those guys would be able to defend at the rim, stretch the floor with a three-pointer, and could run the floor with Giannis and Jabari.
As long as Patton maintains a strong work ethic and is willing to work to maximize his potential, Patton would be a nice fit for the Milwaukee Bucks. With Greg Monroe potentially testing free agency this summer, creating that rotation of Thon and Patton would be a look towards the future as the team continues their run at the playoffs year in and year out.
For draft position, Patton would likely need to slide a tad in order to reach the Bucks. As of right now, the Bucks are likely to select somewhere around 20th overall.
Next: NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Harry Giles
With the way athletic big men have risen late in draft boards of the past few seasons, it would come at no surprise to see Patton go in the lottery. This would, of course, knock the Bucks out of contention unless they were willing to trade up.