Taking a flier on Justin Patton is good business – following his path to the OKC Thunder

Creighton powerhouse:

In his lone season at Creighton, Justin Patton was impressive. He boasted a stat line of 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2  assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks.

Standing at 7’0″ with a wingspan of 7’3″ and 9’3″ reach his defensive acumen was a strong calling card. With physical gifts of this nature, Patton projected to become a rebounding rim protector with the ability to move and defend.

This skillset was bolstered by the center’s potential to stretch the court. Although he only shot 0.4 treys per game at Creighton he nailed them at a 53.3 percent efficiency. Additionally, he shot 67.6 percent from the field.  Yet, the one concern with his shooting was his lowly free throw percentage of 51.7 percent.

In most cases, players who struggle at the line don’t project to become quality 3-point shooters but Patton’s form and work ethic made him a prospect many drafting teams were high on.

Additionally, for a big man, his passing was above average and he showed signs of potential for growth in this area.  Patton also showcased adeptness at pick and roll sets which when combined with all his other natural gifts made him an attractive prospect coming out of college.