I was getting excited for a bit this game because at some points he did use is physical skills. He is improving but still showed some softness (like the lowry foul) and certain rebounding opps.
I have a theory.....maybe it's not that Patterson does not rebound, it's just Asik "the Rebounding machine" is getting all the rebounds so PPat can't get any anymore.
I strongly disagree with post. One should never be happy and always look to improve. He did play great tonight, but players CAN score and rebound and be aggressive
Thread is mistitled. Should read "Patterson has a SOFT touch" cause his jumper has been on point. Who knew he had 3 point range?
That theory would make sense if Lin & Harden & Parsons weren't out rebounding Patt on the regular. But unfortunately they have been.
Bumping this thread again. Has he changed any of yall's opinions yet? Played so physical he sent the ball to the rafters! But in all seriousness, Ppat was the best player for the Rockets this game against a strong frontcourt. Ibaka/Perkins are both very physical down low, along with Collison, so the "he played against Toronto's weak front court" excuse does not apply.
Pattersons softness for rebounding and interior scoring can be made up if he becomes a three point shooter
Rebounds per 36 minutes: Lin: 4.9 Harden: 4.1 Patterson: 6.4 Parsons: 6.6 Is he a great rebounder? Nope. Good rebounder? Not exactly. Adequate rebounder? Sure. I'll take an undersized PF that can give you better than 16 and 6 per 36.
Patterson is like a lot of average players in the league. He does some things fairly well and other things not so well. I think the Rockets are trying to utilize him offensively in ways that makes the most sense. It's just that when you see a guy with such a great build and such good quickness you assume he would be a good rebounder, but he just isn't. I am happy though that he seems to be making slow but steady progress this year. I think most parts of his game have improved a bit, so that's good. I will say this though. Patterson almost never makes a pass that leads to a basket. He gets the ball and treats it like a hot potato. He either shoots the ball or he immediately hands the ball to someone else. I know we want ball movement, but it seems he doesn't really have great court vision once he gets his hands on the ball. I do think Patterson has raised his trade value this year.
It's not like anybody who says he's soft is wrong though. He IS a soft player, and he previously wasn't a 3 point/long jumper threat, making him more ineffective. However....it's okay to be soft if you're able to stretch the floor and hit open jumpers/3 pointers, which he has been effective at lately. He's turned into a nice complement for Asik.
Soft as a description of a basketball player has no meaning. Its just something people label players they dont like because they have no other word to use.
