“Patrick Patterson is absolutely the best defender on this team.” Quite a big statement, coming from Mr. Bill Worrell. Bill happens to have some clout when it comes to basketball: the play-by-play voice of our Houston Rockets since the 1986-87 season sure knows talent when he sees it.

At 22, PF Patterson stands 6’9” and weighs in at 235 lbs. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, he was selected as #14 overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Rockets, despite a serious injury to his left ankle. Patterson’s 2010-11 season with the Rockets was a vitally developmental time in his career. This season is his time to shine, and he is doing just that.

In an interview with Jason Friedman in June of 2010, Patterson said, “I have so much to work on. I want to be a better defender. My defense on the perimeter (needs to improve), guarding smaller players, being stronger in the post and also play better defense there.” (via Rockets.com). So how is PPatt playing now, a year and a half later, you ask?

On Wednesday’s game against the Trail Blazers, Patterson scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 7 rebounds, and one block in just 24 minutes of game play. As of Thursday, February 9, PPatt is averaging nearly 11 points, 6 boards, and a block in 25 minutes over his last five games. How’s that for improvement?

Despite his self-confessed sweet tooth, you can tell that PPatt’s been putting in time at the gym – he is the epitome of solid, slightly reminiscent of a Greek statue, perhaps……anyway, before my brain gets off track, let me say this: Patterson is proving himself to be an exceptional athlete, and a definite asset to the Houston Rockets.

Needless to say, with rookies like Chandler Parsons and vets like Kyle Lowry to play alongside this powerhouse PF, #RedNation is, without a doubt, back in business.

(Stats via Rockets.com, Rotoworld.com)