Free Agency Analysis: Lamar Patterson to NZ Breakers

With free agency underway, NBL Media’s Liam Santamaria is taking a look at each and every signing and breaking down what it all means ahead of #NBL21.

SIGNING SNAPSHOT: LAMAR PATTERSON TO THE NZ BREAKERS

Signed by: New Zealand Breakers

The deal: One year

Age: 28

2019-20 team: Brisbane Bullets

2019-20 stats (per game): 21.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 46.3 FG%, 33.8 3P%, 77.4 FT%

Projected role: Starting shooting guard.

Quote: “The signing of Lamar means we now have one of the best starting units I’ve ever coached.” – Dan Shamir (NZ Breakers head coach)

My take: This is a blockbuster move by the Breakers as they bring in Patterson, a member of the past two All-NBL First Teams, to replace star import Scotty Hopson.

Make no mistake: the Breakers were keen to re-up with Hopson. The athletic wing was brilliant throughout an injury-interrupted NBL20 but the combination of his price tag and desire to delay a commitment influenced NZ to move in a different direction.

Enter Patterson, who joins the Breakers after two sensational seasons with the Bullets.

Is it an upgrade? Man, both of these dudes are absolute studs and, in many ways, are actually pretty similar in terms of the level of their impact. Both are clutch, Hopson may be a better athlete in the open court however Patterson definitely has the edge in terms of his passing, ability to read the D and finishing at the rim. 

The big question for me is: how well will Patterson fit? The Bullets played through him a lot these past two seasons and, as a result, he led the league in usage percentage both of those years. How will that kind of ball dominance work alongside the Webster bros? We’ll have to wait and see, obviously, but I don’t think it’ll be an issue. For one thing, Hopson is himself a high usage player so that won’t be much of a change. Secondly, those who’ve watched Patterson closely know that, above everything else, he’s a high IQ, team-first guy. If Tai-Web is getting it done, I’ve no doubt Lamarvellous will happily play off the ball and sacrifice his numbers for Ws.

Interestingly, the word I’m getting out of New Zealand is that the Breakers are likely to play ‘LP’ at the two, with Tom Abercrombie and Finn Delany at the forward spots and an athletic import at the five. That kind of line-up would see Corey Webster, the third-leading scorer at last year’s FIBA World Cup, being utilised as an impact bucket-getter off the bench. 

Either way, Patterson will be one of the league’s best players once again next season and, with the line-up they’re putting together, you can already lock the Breakers in as legitimate title contenders.