Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking every player on the 2018-19 roster post-trade deadline
16. Justin Patton
If you could sketch what the perfect type of center would be for the 76ers it would go something like this: Big, mobile, rim protector and a soft touch from outside. Justin Patton checks off all the boxes. The problem is, his attributes have been seen more on paper than on the court.
The 7-foot, 241 pounder was the No. 16 pick in the 2017 draft and has played a total of one NBA game due to almost constant foot problems. He was part of the Jimmy Butler trade with Minnesota on Nov. 12, but was unable to play at the time. He finally got going in late January and was slowly worked into the Delaware Blue Coats lineup. In seven games he’s averaged 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, and he did it in just 18.1 minutes per game.
With injuries to its top two centers, Patton was finally called up to the big club on Feb. 28 but he did not get in the Sixers win over Oklahoma City. There are plenty of people who are tantalized by Patton’s potential and would like to see him get some NBA action. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season so it would be nice to see what he can do.
Whether, in the middle of a playoff seeding push, coach Brett Brown sees a role for Patton is to be determined.