Patterson at SF...again?

[twslam07]

Can Patterson play SF? Here are the combine measurements of the majority of the SFs drafted in the past 3 years...

[TABLE="width: 817"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Height w/o Shoes[/TD]
[TD]Height w/shoes[/TD]
[TD]Weight[/TD]
[TD]Wingspan[/TD]
[TD]Standing Reach[/TD]
[TD]Body Fat[/TD]
[TD]No Step Vert[/TD]
[TD]Max Vert[/TD]
[TD]Bench Press
[/TD]
[TD]Lane Agility
[/TD]
[TD]3/4 Court Sprint[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Snell[/TD]
[TD]6' 6"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.25"[/TD]
[TD]198[/TD]
[TD]6' 11.5"[/TD]
[TD]8' 9.5"[/TD]
[TD]4.9[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]36.5[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]10.36[/TD]
[TD]3.25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]S. Hill[/TD]
[TD]6' 5.5"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7"[/TD]
[TD]226[/TD]
[TD]6' 9"[/TD]
[TD]8' 7"[/TD]
[TD]7.6[/TD]
[TD]29.5[/TD]
[TD]37.5[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]10.77[/TD]
[TD]3.19[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Harkless[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.25"[/TD]
[TD]6' 8.75"[/TD]
[TD]207[/TD]
[TD]7' 0"[/TD]
[TD]8' 6.5"[/TD]
[TD]5.3[/TD]
[TD]32.5[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]10.87[/TD]
[TD]3.25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]J. Taylor[/TD]
[TD]6' 6"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.25"[/TD]
[TD]213[/TD]
[TD]6' 6.25"[/TD]
[TD]8' 5.5"[/TD]
[TD]4.2[/TD]
[TD]33.5[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]10.87[/TD]
[TD]3.29[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Barnes[/TD]
[TD]6' 7"[/TD]
[TD]6' 8"[/TD]
[TD]228[/TD]
[TD]6' 11.25"[/TD]
[TD]8' 5.5"[/TD]
[TD]9.6[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]39.5[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]10.93[/TD]
[TD]3.16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]T. Harris[/TD]
[TD]6' 6.5"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.75"[/TD]
[TD]223[/TD]
[TD]6' 11"[/TD]
[TD]8' 7.5"[/TD]
[TD]8.4[/TD]
[TD]31.5[/TD]
[TD]37.5[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]10.96[/TD]
[TD]3.17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Muhammad[/TD]
[TD]6' 4.75"[/TD]
[TD]6' 6.25"[/TD]
[TD]222[/TD]
[TD]6' 11"[/TD]
[TD]8' 8.5"[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]29.5[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10.99[/TD]
[TD]3.32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Patterson[/TD]
[TD]6' 8"[/TD]
[TD]6' 9.25"[/TD]
[TD]240[/TD]
[TD]7' 1.25"[/TD]
[TD]8' 11"[/TD]
[TD]5.3[/TD]
[TD]28.5[/TD]
[TD]33.5[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]11.14[/TD]
[TD]3.25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Porter[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.5"[/TD]
[TD]6' 8.5"[/TD]
[TD]198[/TD]
[TD]7' 1.5"[/TD]
[TD]8' 9.5"[/TD]
[TD]6.7[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]11.25[/TD]
[TD]3.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]J. Butler[/TD]
[TD]6' 6.25"[/TD]
[TD]NA[/TD]
[TD]215[/TD]
[TD]6' 8"[/TD]
[TD]8' 5"[/TD]
[TD]NA[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]NA
[/TD]
[TD]NA[/TD]
[TD]11.3[/TD]
[TD]3.31[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Bullock[/TD]
[TD]6' 5.75"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7"[/TD]
[TD]200[/TD]
[TD]6' 8.75"[/TD]
[TD]8' 6"[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]36.5[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]11.33[/TD]
[TD]3.31[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Singleton[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.75"[/TD]
[TD]6' 9"[/TD]
[TD]230[/TD]
[TD]7' 1"[/TD]
[TD]8' 7.5"[/TD]
[TD]7.4[/TD]
[TD]30.5[/TD]
[TD]37.5[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]11.33[/TD]
[TD]3.09[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Leonard[/TD]
[TD]6' 6"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7"[/TD]
[TD]227[/TD]
[TD]7' 3"[/TD]
[TD]8' 10"[/TD]
[TD]5.4[/TD]
[TD]25.5[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]11.45[/TD]
[TD]3.15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Kidd-Gilchrist[/TD]
[TD]6' 5.75"[/TD]
[TD]6' 7.5"[/TD]
[TD]233[/TD]
[TD]7' 0"[/TD]
[TD]8' 8.5"[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD]35.5[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]11.77[/TD]
[TD]3.18
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

I bolded lane agility because I believe it to be one of the best tests to determine what position players can guard (other than height, wingspan, etc.). Patterson seems to be in the middle of the pack. He beat out Porter, Butler, Bullock, C. Singleton, Leonard, & Kidd-Gilchrist all of whom are considered to be at least above average defenders. So if Patterson has the size (6'9.25"), wingspan (7'1.25"), and quickness (11.14 sec), is it fair to assume he has the potential to guard SFs? Now I'm not saying that everyone who is this big and this athletic can be a good defender, but it gives them the potential to be a good defender.

I'm just trying to find some positives while our FO continues this debacle, and by no means do I want Patterson as our long term SF. I'm just trying to put this puzzle together and make some sense of our roster.

So what do you guys think? If he is athletic enough to guard SFs, he can be a big SF who could knock down threes and rebound at an above average rate.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Just because he has Ron Artest's eyes does not mean he has his game. P Pat is a stretch 4, He will never be able to keep up with the little 3s.

 

[Livinthedream]

I've been wondering if our FO thinks we already have our SF on the roster. Besides Iguodala, there has been no real push for one. Maybe they even think Mclemore can play SF.

Patterson has the measurables. Might have to slim down a bit to keep up with the SFs in the league. Peja wasn't the swiftest of feet, but thrived in the league for a bit. I think the only worry is lacking the defensive presence in the middle for when guys like Durant and Lebron blow by him.

 

[Darth Divac]

I like Ppat a lot, and for several reasons. He is a high level athlete, high-IQ player, great defensive awareness and understanding, good shooter and post player, has a hard work ethic, and being from UK is the perfect kind of guy to have next to Cousins. But I do have an issue with him as a SF: he has no off the dribble game and his handle is EXACTLY that of a big. Could he guard it occasionally to at least moderate effectiveness? Sure. Can he play it full time? sadly, the answer is no.

 

[ESP47]

Just watch him play. Doesn't matter what his measurements are, he's not a SF by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[The_Jamal]

Hell, might as well at this point. I'd rather experiment with Ppat than go back to Salmons again

 

[hrdboild]

In general, my thinking is that if a guy can defend a position than you can build an offensive system which accounts for his strengths and weaknesses. But our experiments with playing Jason Thompson and Carl Landry at SF in the past have soured me on the idea that tweener forwards can swing down to the wing position and be effective there without significant trade-off on both ends of the court. He would have a size advantage there and he can shoot but defense is about more than just foot speed, and the types of skills required to defend on the wing are not easily learned on the fly. He's going to have to know when to close out hard and when to stay low and stop the drive and he's also going to have to stay in front of some of the best slashing to-the-basket scorers in the world. It's not impossible, he's got range on his jumper which makes him a better bet at least than Landry or Thompson were out there, but it looks like a long-shot to me.

 

[Bricklayer]

Its not just a question of combine measurements. Patterson might be able to play some spot 3. Landry might still be abel to a bit at his age. but they are 4s in skill package. They lack the lateral mobility and ballhandling abilities of 3s.

 

[ParniValjak]

Its not just a question of combine measurements. Patterson might be able to play some spot 3. Landry might still be abel to a bit at his age. but they are 4s in skill package. They lack the lateral mobility and ballhandling abilities of 3s.

Spot on! Maybe we could "hide" the lack of ball handling but defensively, both PPat and Landry would struggle in a big way. I cannot see either defending the SF spot well!

 

[Mass]

I've been wondering if our FO thinks we already have our SF on the roster. Besides Iguodala, there has been no real push for one. Maybe they even think Mclemore can play SF.

Yes, we already have our SF...