For the second consecutive year, the Pitt Panthers were represented in the NBA Draft.
Unlike last season when Steven Adams went in the lottery, this year forward Lamar Patterson was selected in the second round with the No.48 pick overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
However Patterson’s stay in Milwaukee was a short one, as he was quickly dealt to the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta is a nice landing spot for Patterson, who averaged 17 points, five rebounds and four assists per game for the Panthers in their first year of ACC play. He was second team all-Atlantic Coast Conference, and made honorable mention all-America.
Patterson is a wing player who contributes on the boards, settles down on defense and thrives distributing the ball, which aids the movement-heavy system Atlanta employs.
He could struggle defensively against the more athletic players he will see in the NBA, but Patterson could turn out to be a nice playmaker off the bench for Atlanta.
It’s likely that his first year could be spent shuffling back and forth between the D-League and Atlanta, but Patterson in time could turn into a nice role player for the Hawks.
Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry has done a nice job over the past two years of rebuilding the Hawks and adding a guy like Patterson is a good addition to a team that has made the postseason seven consecutive seasons.
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