Patrick Patterson is the least sexy third wheel among the NBA’s elite teams. He doesn’t bring the thunder of a DeAndre Jordan, the offensive punch of a Kevin Love or the end-to-end dominance of a Draymond Green. He has three-point shot can drift in and out of effectiveness. When working off the dribble he often incites moans from the crowd. And depending on the night, he might not even look like the best reserve on his own team.
His return from injury on Tuesday, however, illustrated just how much appreciation Patterson - Toronto’s third-most important player - deserves from both fans and his Raptors teammates.