If I told you that Patrick Patterson had the fifth highest Offensive Rating in the NCAA, you’d probably think that I am lying.  It’s a true statement though, and Patterson’s offensive game is one of the reasons why I think the 14th overall pick for the Rockets will come in and make an impact right away.

The first thing that you notice about Patrick Patterson is his body.  He is a strong guy, and his combination of size and strength makes him the perfect type of player to use as a screener in a pick and roll set:

Here, Patterson sets the screen and quickly separates from the defenders on the roll.  The roll here is important because  he doesn’t roll on a straight line to the basket.  Instead, he rolls towards the baseline first, opening up a passing lane and then he heads towards the rim.

In college Patrick Patterson was known more for his inside game rather than his pick and roll game, and he also put that on display against the Suns:

Here, the Rockets run a play to get the ball to Patterson on the post.  After making the catch, he takes one quick dribble and attempts a smooth hook over his left shoulder, knocking it down.  In addition to the back to the basket game, Patterson is a threat to make the catch in the post and face up:

It’s the same play run for Patterson, but this time off the catch Patterson feels that his man is playing too far off of him.  This prompts him to turn and face, and he attempts the jumper and knocks it down.

In addition to the inside game, Patrick Patterson showed an outside game that he didn’t really have in college (it is obvious that he has been working on this since the end of the college season).  Patterson’s outside jumper is key to his ability to contribute because he could be finding himself with plenty of opportunities.  If he can consistently knock down a jumper, this will help spread the floor and keep doubles away from Yao:

In both of these clips, Patterson’s jumper just looks smooth. He catches it and shoots it all in rhythm and it all looks real easy. The three point shot that Patterson hit could be something that he thrives with, trailing and getting the ball right at the top of the key. If he is open, he can knock down the shot, if not he swings the basketball and sets up the team’s offense.

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Patterson’s offense looks NBA-ready in my opinion, and that is part of the reason I expect him to come in right away and be successful.  This isn’t even considering his rebounding or defensive ability.