NBA Draft 2014: Atlanta Hawks trade for Lamar Patterson

Almost immediately after selecting Walter Tavares with their 43rd pick of the draft, the Atlanta Hawks struck a deal to acquire Lamar Patterson from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks selected Patterson with their 48th pick:

In exchange, the Hawks will send a future second round pick to the Bucks:

This news came pretty abruptly, but after keeping tabs on the ACC basketball season last year I can say that Patterson was extremely impressive and carried his Pittsburgh team. Here’s some of what Draft Express has to say about the wing:

"At 6’5 with a 225-pound frame and good wingspan, Patterson is a versatile wing who makes up for whatever he lacks in size with his length. He is a savvy player, which helped compensate for his average athletic profile at the collegiate level; whether this translates into success at the next, however, remains to be seen. Patterson is neither explosive around the basket nor quick off of the dribble, though he looks like he could stand to slim down in order to maximize his athletic potential.Offensively, Patterson emerged as Pittsburgh’s focal point while averaging an impressive 21.9 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted, upping his usage rate significantly between his junior and senior years. He was extremely versatile, seeing nearly of his scoring or passing possessions as ball handler in pick-and-roll or isolation situations to complement his solid floor spacing ability.At first glance, Patterson is a very good perimeter shooter with NBA range on his jumper. He took a big step up from his junior to senior year, as well, regaining his sophomore form by making 39% of his shots from beyond the arc while taking over seven 3s per-40. A closer look at the numbers reveals that he is far better in a catch-and-shoot situations (40%) than he is shooting off the dribble (25%). On film, his mechanics can be inconsistent and he will have to streamline his shooting motion if he hopes to emerge as a shooting specialist at the next level, which could be a major key in whether he’s able to carve out a niche in the NBA."

Last season with the Panthers, Patterson averaged 17.1 points per game was eighth in the ACC in field goal percentage (44.1 percent) and fifth in the league with 4.3 assists per game.