OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: Justin Patton

March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Justin Patton (23) during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Rhode Island Rams at Golden 1 Center. The Rams won 84-72. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Next up in the Thunderous Intentions draft prospect series Justin Patton, the gifted 7′ Creighton center.

Sam Presti won’t likely earmark a center as his draft priority and Justin Patton is destined to be selected in or near the lottery round regardless. The Creighton center is versatile offensively with a growing skill set. With such a deep draft Patton won’t likely go in the top ten selections, but his potential ceiling will intrigue several clubs.

As the old adage goes you can’t teach height, so at 7′ Patton should have clubs who can afford to wait for him to grow into his body sitting up and paying attention. However, it’s unlikely Sam Presti will be one of those GM’s given the need to address roster concerns immediately. Yet, should Patton fall to the Thunder perhaps they would be wise to snatch him up. The existing roster has ample defenders. True there is a need for playmaking, scoring ad above all a reliable back up point guard. Above all Patton would complement Steven Adams with his scoring and ability to space the court.

Specifics:

Height: 7’0″

Weight: 226 lbs

Wingspan: 7’3″

Position: center

Age: 20

Statline: 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.4 blocks

College: Creighton (freshman)

Home Town: Omaha, Nebraska

Current rankings:

(note – rankings are taken on day of article posting and therefore may be listed at a similar rank as previously posted prospect reviews)

DraftExpress: 19th overall prospect

NBA DraftNet: 17th

Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: 20th

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 17th

CBS Sports: 14th

Basketball Insiders: 21st

Hoops Hype: 13th

Jeremy Woo SI.com, The Crossover: 13th

Skills:

Ironically some of the same elements of his game which speak to his high ceiling are also things which are limitations. His 7′ frame offers him the ability to do more than his counterparts, but his under developed skill set and thought process (basketball I.Q) are why he fails.

Still, given time with the right development team his natural agility, motor and growing skill set will afford him the opportunity to become a solid contributor down the road. He already showcases great pick and roll ability. His reported 9’3″ reach should serve whoever selects him to aid as they develop him into a rim protector or defense of the perimeter.

He’s an above average passer for his position, has active hands and his agility allows him to get up and down the court and present a big target for his teammates.

Weaknesses:

Draft Express list rebounding as one of his key weaknesses given his propensity to get pushed around and not having a quick jump. This is understandable given his size and lack of strength. As his body fills out he should improve in this area. The bigger question will be whether he lacks the proper rebounding instincts. In the latter scenario he’ll need to work to hone his instincts and positioning. Lots of players without his size, excel in this area of the game simply improve through proper positioning and figuring out angles.

As for the lack of a quick jump he displays enough agility on offense to believe this can be corrected with focus and practice.

Another concern is his defense in that it goes beyond him getting pushed out of position, but appears to lack the mental composure to compete. This could be a lack of focus, however if it’s a lack of a desire that presents larger issues. It’s one thing to pack on size in the weight room, but changing a players natural inclination is much tougher. Initial analysis indicate he has a high motor, so it should be easily remedied .

Offensively questions exist regarding his basketball I.Q as he tends to force his shot far too often which points to him not reading the game situations. Bottom line, his mechanics need work but the talent level is there.

Honors and awards:

Big East Rookie of the Year, 2017
All Freshman Big East Team, 2017
All Conference Big East Team, 2017

Pro Comparison:

More from Thunderous Intentions

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list includes Karl-Anthony Towns Lite, Theo Ratliff, Samuel Dalembert. That’s a heck of list of NBA pro comparisons and speaks to Patton’s upside. Breaking down the three talents O’Connor lists offers major diversity. Ratliff and Dalembert were prototypical centers who protected the rim and worked primarily in the paint. Comparing him to Towns, even a light version is heady company to keep.

From my perspective he ‘s more of a Chris Bosh light given he needs to add weight, size and improve his rebounding. The fact he has range and can grow as he develops is why I see him fitting the Chris Bosh mold more so.

The fit:

There are two sides to the coin here. As much as Patton’s potential ceiling is appealing, Sam Presti doesn’t necessarily need a center and he may not have time to wait for his development. On the other hand if a talent like Patton falls into the Thunder’s lap he immediately affords Presti options in free agency with Kanter and possibly Gibson. And, for all Patton’s shortcomings pairing the offensive minded floor spacer beside the defensive minded Steven Adams could pay huge dividends.

Although the Creighton center won’t likely fall to 21, he would represent a talent Presti shouldn’t pass on. Yes, OKC need the playmaking guard, but there will be hidden talents in the second round Presti could nab via trading in and an entire Summer League to seek out talents. The Raptors grabbed Fred VanVleet last year and Mavericks added Yogi Ferrell. Bottom line, it’s not the wisest to target talent well below your draft selection to fill a specific roster need. And, more importantly you don’t let a talent that drops pass by either. It’s likely all a moot point as a squad will nab him prior, yet an intriguing option none-the-less.

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