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Arriving in Toronto from the Rudy Gay trade from Sacramento, Patrick Patterson wasn't playing his best. That however seemed to changed as Patterson began to flourish within the Raptors' system.
Only four years in the league, Patterson's numbers with the Kings weren't all that well. In his last year in Houston, Patterson averaged 11.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and shot 51.7% from the field, according to NBA.com. In Sacramento however, his numbers dropped dramatically. He shot 41.0% and only made 6.9 points per game. To top it all off, the Kings weren't winning so that losing culture must've stuck by him.
According to an interview with ProBall Report conducted earlier this summer:
"We have no egos on the team and everyone knows their role," Patterson said. "Everyone wants to do what it takes to win. There's no problems, we all know what we have to do on the court to get better and it's a beautiful thing when everyone does that."
With the Raptors picking him up, his individual impact was seen almost immediately. "(My) coaches, coaching staff (and) teammates just telling me to shot the ball, Patterson said. "Whether I'm missing three or four or whether i'm hot. Take advantage of my opportunities out there"
Patterson said Dwane Casey was one of the key reasons why for the team having tremendous success. He continued saying Casey was extremely dedicated every day and brought it to the floor every single day.
Within Casey's system, defense has been a crucial component. With a priority on that end, Patterson has been given tons of minutes to guard big wing players and stretch fours.
Despite Patterson gaining tons of confidence, last season's progression was lacklustre. With expectations at an all time high to get in the second round of the playoffs, the team needs to take a giant leap forward. Individually, Patterson has his own expectations he wants to surpass:
"Everyone should take a huge leap forward because we're going to hold ourselves accountable (and) we're going to put ourselves on another level," Patterson said. "Everyone is going to be here early, everyone is going to stay late, everyone is going to get extra work in. We're going to do everything possible to have even a better year than last year and most importantly get off to a great start."