The Vikings have signed Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander already.
The Vikings ranked 25th against the pass last season.
For a coach like Mike Zimmer who prides himself on his defensive backfield, that was frustrating.
Heading into 2021, it’s clear the team has made it a priority to bolster that group.
The Vikings started by signing veteran Patrick Peterson. They continued that by bringing back nickelback Mackensie Alexander, who spent last season with the Bengals.
The team now has a core of those two, Jeff Gladney, Cam Dantzler and Mike Hughes, which certainly puts the team in a much better position than they were in last season.
The Vikings still have to address the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith after Anthony Harris signed with the Eagles. We could see the Vikings address that position with one of their 10 draft picks, or the team could perhaps test one of those corners at safety.
Even with that hole, Vikings fans have to feel much better about their secondary than they did a year ago.
Patrick Patterson can be a nice fit for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be set to resume the 2019-20 season in late July, but it is still worth it to look ahead to the offseason. So, in that case, Sixers Wire is going to continue its player profiles for potential free-agent options for them to improve the team.
The Sixers have a few needs to fill in the offseason. They will need a backup point guard, some shooting to spread the floor, and they also need a quality backup big man. Sunday’s edition focuses on a player who can be a backup big while also being able to stretch the floor with his shooting.
Patrick Patterson
Patterson does not offer much other than 3-point shooting–he’s shooting 38.7% from deep with the Clippers–but that is exactly what the Sixers need so he could get a look. He is a bulldog of a defender so he has that going for him and he will not back down on the boards.
The big aspect that will attract the Sixers’ eye is that he will be cheap. He won’t demand a big contract and the possibility of serving an important role on a team that will be contending for a title could draw him to Philadelphia. General manager Elton Brand and the Sixers will have to sell that to any potential free agents due to the lack of money–roughly $6 million for the 2020 market.
Patterson is 31-years old and he will be a guy who can fill in plenty of different holes on this team. He fills in as both the backup big man that Kyle O’Quinn was not able to really fill in this season. On top of that, he is a proven shooter and could be a great option next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. [lawrence-related id=33016,32996,32985]
Here are 3 backup big man options for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020 free agency.
We are going to continue our Philadelphia 76ers free agency preview, in the midst of the league still working to resume the 2019-20 season, with another position that the team needs. They are in need of a backup point guard, as well as shooters–their most pressing need–and they are also in need of a backup big man option.
While the team could easily fix this problem by simply moving Al Horford to the bench permanently–or maybe just using the amnesty clause on him–it still makes a lot of sense to go out in free agency and try and sign a cheap, reliable option. General manager Elton Brand and company won’t have too much money to play with, but there are options in their $6 million price range.
NBA players open up about their at-home workouts, some of the challenges they face, how their teams are helping them stay in shape and more.
The NBA’s 2019-20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and it remains to be seen when the league will be able to resume play. But as long as resuming the season is a possibility, NBA players must stay in shape at home so that they’re ready in the event that they get called back to work.
HoopsHype talked to a number of NBA players, strength-and-conditioning coaches and trainers about what their at-home workouts entail, how teams are helping players stay in shape and why this break impacts some players more than others.
HOW PLAYERS ARE STAYING IN SHAPE
“I’m basically doing jail-house workouts,” New York Knicks guard Elfrid Payton said with a laugh. “I’m doing a lot of core workouts in my house – little planks, sit-ups and stuff like that. I’ve also been doing some running around my neighborhood and some sprints in front of my house. Other than that, I’m working out inside.”
Payton said that he initially thought this would be a short-term, two-week stoppage. Several days after the NBA suspended play, the Knicks had a team-wide conference call and that’s when he realized the severity of this situation. On March 16, Payton returned home to Louisiana to be with his family and get out of New York.
“My body knows that this is the time of year when I should still be playing,” Payton said. “This is when you’re usually reving up, so it’s just different. It’s weird.”
Players are doing their best to stay in shape remotely, but it’s been difficult since they’re on their own and have limited resources.
“My wife and I put together a make-shift gym in our backyard,” Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway said. “We have some weights and dumbbells and things like that. Cardio is huge right now. That’s what I’ve been focusing on the most – how can I keep my conditioning up there and as close to game shape as possible?”
“I’ve been doing some body-weight work, and then I’ve been getting outside to run,” Boston Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye said. “I’m kind of blessed that I live outside of Boston, in Brighton, so I have a little bit of space to run. I’m just trying to mix it up and fall in love with the grind for now.”
“It’s been a challenge,” said Los Angeles Clippers forward Patrick Patterson. “I live in an apartment, so it’s difficult to set up situations where I get [everything I need]. I do an hour-long workout in the garage with all of the items that I have. I mix in runs in certain areas in L.A. that have hills. I’ll mix in yoga sessions in the garage; I go on YouTube and type in yoga and then do a yoga session. That’s really all I can do right now.”
Several players and coaches said that they’re approaching this the same way they would an offseason training program (minus the on-court work, in most cases).
“When we started getting word from the NBA that there wasn’t really an end in sight, we started realizing, ‘Okay, this may be closer to an offseason-type break, so we’ll have to plan long-term and adjust our workouts,’” said one Eastern Conference strength-and-conditioning coach.
“I’ve been having my same workout, really, that I do in the regular offseason,” Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine said. “I work out pretty much every day, get my shots up and lift a lot. I’m still lifting to try to keep my body in shape. The main thing me and my dad have been working on right now is just staying strong and not putting on too much weight. I like my frame right now; I’m about 205 lbs.”
But unlike the offseason, there’s no end in sight. It’s unclear when (or if) the season will resume, and it’s up to each team to decide when they’ll reopen their practice facility.
“It’s been hard, man,” Payton said. “It’s just tough because we’re kind of in limbo. You don’t want to go too hard and then we’re away for so long, but then you also don’t want to do too little and not be ready when they start back up because that’s how injuries happen. You’re just in the middle, trying to do [just enough].”
“Oh man, it’s been a shock to my system,” Galloway added. “I’ve never been at home during this time period – the last time was when I was in high school. It’s so crazy.”
Each player talked about how badly they’re missing basketball and how they previously took the game for granted.
“The other day, I was watching videos of someone working out,” Ojeleye said with a laugh. “I’m not even watching game-film! I’m just watching guys getting in the gym and doing drill work and working on their craft. I think I miss that the most right now; that’s what made me fall in love with the game.”
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HOW TEAMS ARE HELPING PLAYERS
Because the NBA stoppage happened so quickly, teams didn’t have a chance to prepare for this and were forced to adjust on the fly.
One NBA strength-and-conditioning coach explained how his team put together a customized workout plan for each of their players. He splits his players into groups (such as “younger development guys,” “veteran guys,” and “high-minute guys”) to determine the general framework for each, and then he further individualizes each plan based on what the player needs to work on and their equipment and surroundings.
“Early on, we were helping each of our players locate tracks and football fields near their home, just because it allows them to do more,” the strength coach said. “When we’re customizing each player’s workouts, we’re taking into account what he has access to. If the guy lives close to a track and can get out there, we include different workouts than we would for a guy who doesn’t live near one.”
Several NBA teams have started using an app called TeamBuildr, which allows them to send workout instructions and videos to their players while tracking their progress. The Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder are among the teams using this app to guide their players.
Many NBA teams have purchased equipment for their players to facilitate their at-home workouts. Quite a few players didn’t have any equipment at home prior to this, since they could always just go to their team’s practice facility or their offseason training site.
“Some teams have sent out treadmills,” Patterson said. “I’ve heard of teams sending ladders and ellipticals. For me, personally, I’ve received ladders, weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, BOSU balls, benches, boxes and jump-ropes from the Clippers. I have pretty much everything that I need – minus a treadmill.”
“The Celtics sent me a stationary bike, a couple of kettlebells, some bands, a BOSU ball, an AIREX balance pad and other equipment like that,” Ojeleye said. “I got everything from the Celtics; before this, I didn’t have anything except for one mini band.”
Like Ojeleye, Payton said he didn’t have any equipment at his house prior to this break.
“I didn’t really have any dumbbells or anything here because I never really needed them; I could always just go to the gym,” Payton said.
In addition to purchasing equipment for players, some teams have let their players borrow machines or weights from the practice facility (since nobody is using them).
“We loaned out some of the equipment in our facility to the guys who were staying in our team’s market,” an Eastern Conference strength-and-conditioning coach said. “We knew that some guys, especially veterans, were leaving to go home. But for the guys who are staying in our city, we tried to get them the equipment they needed (within reason) like weights and either an exercise bike or treadmill.”
Teams have also been trying to help their players stay motivated. For example, the Celtics have been doing team-wide workouts over FaceTime and having celebrity guest speakers join their Zoom meetings to mix things up.
“We get on FaceTime about three times a week and work out as a group,” Ojeleye said. “That’s been good, just to keep guys mentally engaged. When you’re just working out by yourself, it can be a grind. But when you have people with you, it helps the time go by faster… About once a week we’ll have an organization-wide Zoom chat. We’ve had some people come talk to us. Sometimes, it’s someone providing updates on the virus and this whole situation; other times it’s people like Mark Wahlberg, LL Cool J and Myron Rolle and they just talk about what they do, and we’re able to learn from them.”
The Clippers are doing team-wide workouts as well, according to Patterson: “Three-to-four times a week, our strength coach puts us all in a Zoom session and every morning around 10 a.m., there will be some type of hour-long workout. We all just sign in on the Zoom session and our trainer is right there, leading a workout for an hour.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
SOME PLAYERS IMPACTED MORE THAN OTHERS
While some players didn’t have a single piece of equipment until their team stepped in, other players have everything they need and are able to train like usual.
LaVine is back home in Washington, where he has access to a full basketball court, 50 yards of turf, inflatable hills, a full weight room, batting cages and more. This is where LaVine trains every summer with his father, Paul, and it’s where he’s working out now.
“I feel really fortunate that I have these amenities,” LaVine said. “It’s obviously something that was put in place way before we knew what was going on with everything in the world. I’m just so happy that I can keep my same routine and my same work-out lifestyle. Because it’s tough for a lot of people who are limited… I’m fortunate that I have this set-up, so I can work out the same way I would in a regular offseason.”
Right now, most players don’t have this kind of set-up. The Eastern Conference strength-and-conditioning coach said none of his players have access to a court at the moment.
“We’d love for our players to be doing on-court work and we’d definitely recommend that, but I don’t think any of our players have access to one,” the strength coach said. “We have to make the best of this and figure out things they can do from home.”
Payton has an outdoor court next to his house where he was shooting, but then they took the rims down to encourage social distancing. The individuals who have access to a court could have a big advantage when play resumes, which isn’t lost on players.
“That’s a big-time plus,” Ojeleye said. “They can go in there, work out, clear their head and almost feel like they aren’t even missing anything – it’s like the offseason for them.”
“Some people I know have a gym and an actual basketball court in their home, but I don’t have that,” Patterson added. “I actually thought about hitting up Lou [Williams], Kawhi [Leonard] or Paul [George] and being like, ‘Hey, can I borrow your court for a little bit?’ or, ‘Can I borrow your gym just to get a workout in?’ For a lot of those guys in the upper echelon who have the large homes with a court and a large gym in them, it’s easier for them to stay in shape just because they have all the equipment.”
While this break has certainly forced every NBA player to adjust, certain individuals are less reliant on their coaches and trainers. For example, Galloway points out that veterans may fare better than young players during this NBA stoppage since they have years of experience keeping their body in playing shape (whereas young players are still learning and may depend on the trainers and coaches more). Many veterans know all the drills and workouts they’re being assigned, so doing them alone isn’t a big deal.
The Eastern Conference strength-and-conditioning coach agreed that his younger players typically need more structure and guidance than his veterans. Because of this, he and his staff are communicating with the team’s young players daily, whereas they are only checking in on the veterans every two-to-three days.
Dave Hancock, who was the Director of Training and Performance for the Knicks and now trains athletes like Kevin Durant and Odell Beckham Jr.,is mainly concerned about two groups of players: the youngest players and the oldest players.
“Kevin Durant is disciplined about how much he does, how often he does it and how hard he works; he knows himself and the intensity that he has to work at to keep his game at that top level,” Hancock explained. “But it’s the rookies and the players who don’t know their bodies as well that you’d have to [monitor]. For players who are in their rookie season and they’re just getting used to the intensity of playing in the NBA and then it just stops, they’re the players I’m concerned about – the rookies.
“There’s also some concern about the older veterans, the oldest players. Rest can be great for the body, but how much rest do you actually need? How much is too much? It’s a real fine line, a real tightrope that you’re on, and every individual is different.”
Hancock created a performance-tracking app called Apollo, which uses wearable technology to monitor a player’s heart rate, speed, accelerations, decelerations and other data. Several NBA teams have reached out to Apollo in recent months since they’re looking for ways to monitor and improve their players’ at-home workouts.
While everyone would love to see the 2019-20 NBA season resume in the near future, some players and coaches are worried that restarting play too quickly after this extended break could lead to significantly more injuries.
“I fear the injuries that could possibly happen if guys aren’t staying prepared,” said one NBA strength coach. “That’s a big thing I’m worried about. It’s hard for guys to mimic what they do in games, but they need to somewhat try. The guys who don’t are going to have a hard time. The league could decide to jump right to the playoffs just to finish the season quickly and that’s when the intensity is at its highest. You’ll have some guys who haven’t done much for a while trying to play their way into shape. Well, couple that with playoff intensity and there will be a lot of injuries that come with that, unfortunately.”
“It’s probably human nature to rest more when nobody knows when they’ll play again,” the coach added. “And the season is such a grind; these players have been working extremely hard for five or six months and some of their bodies are pretty beat up, so I definitely understand the temptation to just rest and not work hard at home.”
But even if a player is working out every day at home, it’s near impossible for them to replicate what they’ll be doing in games when they’re training alone.
“Athletes are pretty good at keeping themselves in reasonable shape, but it’s the intensity that’s the key,” Hancock said. “If they are just putting up shots, the intensity isn’t there. In a game, they’re exploding with power, accelerating, decelerating, cutting, pivoting, moving with quickness – all things that are difficult to mimic when you’re by yourself.”
As previously mentioned, many players don’t have access to a court, so they’re simply doing cardio, lifting weights and trying to stay fit at home. Because they aren’t getting in any on-court work, they could be at a higher risk for injury when they start playing five-on-five again. A number of players expressed their concern about this.
“You can’t really duplicate or practice game shape, unless you’re playing in games,” Galloway said. “That’s why this is so difficult. I know a lot of players are nervous about this time and about going back to playing. All we can do right now is just try to stay in the best shape that we can. We may have to do a kind-of training camp and reset the season. If they don’t, people are going to be getting hurt left and right, and nobody wants that. Everyone wants to see the best players on the court.”
“I think they really should be [careful],” Payton added. “There should be no less than three-to-four weeks [of training camp] before they start playing again to get players back up to that intensity after sitting around for so long. It’s not like everyone has access to a basketball gym to even be somewhat in shape. If this was happening over the summer and we could go right into training camp, that’s different. But in a situation like this where nobody can move and everybody is stuck inside, I don’t think it would be smart for them to rush us back into playing.”
Patterson is working out often, but he pointed out that he has no way of knowing whether he’s working hard enough (or if he’s potentially going too hard). He’s worried that even if he stays in decent shape, it won’t be enough to prevent an injury when he’s back on the court with the Clippers.
“I heard something on ESPN or the radio – I can’t remember – but someone said that these playoffs are going to be the best playoffs that have ever happened in the NBA,” Patterson said. “They were like, ‘You give these guys two or three months to rest their bodies and heal up and then unleash them back on the court, it’s gonna be amazing!’ I’m like, ‘No!’ Right now, with the virus and everything going on, certain guys have courts and have better opportunities to stay fit, stay in shape and fix their bodies. But for everyone else, you can’t really go work out, you can’t go to the gym, you can’t go to certain facilities to do what you do.
“I do have concern for myself and other guys across the league who don’t have the equipment and everything that they need to get stronger, stay ready and stay prepared, or who may not take this break seriously and try to rest a little too much… Then, next thing you know, the season starts back up again and they give us a couple weeks before we [finish the] regular season or we go straight to the playoffs, and guys’ bodies aren’t nearly the same as they were before the stoppage began.”
The players who aren’t working out much during this period (and there will inevitably be some) would have the highest injury risk.
“Normally, with an athlete of this caliber, they’ll start to detrain in six weeks if they aren’t doing much,” Hancock said. “Then, it will normally take them six weeks to get back in shape. There’s no way that the league will gives players six weeks of prep before finishing the season, so the ability to communicate with these athletes remotely and ensure that they’re working out is very, very important. If I was still working for an NBA team, I would be concerned about injuries, 100 percent.”
It would be great to have the NBA back sooner than later, but the short-term benefits may not be worth the long-term consequences if the league isn’t careful when it comes time to resume play.
Los Angeles Clippers big man Patrick Patterson was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. Listen to the interview above or read the transcribed conversation below.
What was your reaction when the NBA announced that they were suspending the season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus?
Patrick Patterson: Initially, it was disbelief. There was also a little bit of anger just because, being an athlete playing in the NBA, you want to compete. You want to play the game that you love and you want to be out there as much as possible, so there was a little bit of anger and a lot of disbelief, a lot of questions. “Why?” “How?” Obviously, “What’s next?” It took me a while actually to get around to, “Okay, are those guys alright? Is anyone else infected with the virus? What’s the next move for them? Are they going to be stuck there, quarantined, or do they get to fly back? What about their families?” It took me a while to get around to the virus itself and the players and individuals and families and fans that were around them and have been around them. But initially, man, I would say – just like a lot of people – it was just a whole bunch of disbelief and questions and a little bit of anger.
With the NBA lifestyle, you’re traveling so much and interacting with many different people. Were you concerned that you could be at risk?
PP: Yeah, definitely, especially when we were playing for a while and the virus was talked about and, all of a sudden, the NBA puts out a statement saying that players can no longer really interact with the fans on a personal level – no slapping hands or grabbing markers to autograph items. They said, “Maybe just fist-bump.” So, there was a little bit of worry during that time period as far as, “Okay, maybe a fan could actually have it and then you could contract it if you tried to take a picture with them or put your arm around them or if they handed you an item to sign.” They could’ve handed you a marker with a card or a piece of paper or a shirt, and a lot of guys high-five fans before and after the game, so there was a little bit of concern going on.
Then, with your teammates, you’re with them every single day, hours upon hours. They’re around their families and you don’t know where they go; they hang out with different people, so there was always that chance of them getting it and handing it over to you. I think the big thing was once it came out that there are people who are asymptomatic and can get the virus and not experience any symptoms whatsoever and feel completely healthy but they technically still have it in them and the ability to spread it, I think the worries just went through the roof after that.
Because the season may resume at some point soon, players are being told to stay in shape from home. Unless you have an in-home court or gym, you’re sort of limited in what you can do (and most players don’t have either of those). What have you been doing to work out at home?
PP: It’s been a challenge. During the offseason, guys have the ability to go to different gyms to work out with their trainers and play pick-up basketball with other athletes. And, on top of that, you have your strength-and-conditioning coach that you’re with all the time in the facility. You have your circle around you that you trust and know that you can work out with whenever you want. Now, for me, I live in an apartment, so it’s difficult to set up situations where I can get all of that. Thankfully, the team sent out a few items that can help me with my workouts and I moved all of my cars out of the garage and I’ll do an hour workout in the garage with all of the items that I have. I mix in runs in certain areas in L.A. that have hills. I’ll mix in yoga sessions in the garage; I go on YouTube and type in yoga and then do a yoga session. That’s really all I can do right now. Some people I know have a gym and an actual basketball court in their home, but I don’t have that. I actually thought about hitting up Lou [Williams], Kawhi [Leonard] or Paul [George] and being like, “Hey, can I borrow your court for a little bit?” or, “Can I borrow your gym just to get a workout in?” For a lot of those guys in the upper echelon who have the large homes with a court and a large gym in them, it’s easier for them to stay in shape just because they have all the equipment. But, for me, it’s just trying to get things that can help me stay in shape and stay ready for whenever we do get that call to come back.
Since most players don’t have access to a court or gym, players could be at a higher risk for injuries if this stoppage goes on for a while and then the NBA tries to resume the season quickly. An NBA strength-and-conditioning coach recently told me that he’s concerned about players getting injured when they return. Do you agree that’s a concern?
PP: Yeah, that’s definitely on my mind. I could’ve sworn I heard something on ESPN or the radio – I can’t remember – but someone said that these playoffs are going to be the best playoffs that have ever happened in the NBA, like, “You give these guys two or three months to rest their bodies and heal up and then unleash them back on the court, it’s gonna be amazing!” I’m like, “No.” Right now, with the virus and everything going on, certain guys have courts and have better opportunities to stay fit, stay in shape and fix their bodies. But for everyone else, you can’t really go work out, you can’t go to the gym, you can’t go to certain facilities to do what you do. And some guys may fall into that mindset or routine, like, “Okay, tomorrow I’m gonna workout.” Then, it’s, “The next day, I’m gonna workout.” Or, “I’m just gonna do a little bit now and then I’ll do more tomorrow,” but then you don’t do anything tomorrow.
There’s a lot more free time, there’s a lot more ability to not work out, to not train, to not do what you do every single year to make sure your body is strong and healthy. And, during this time, there could be a number of guys who are just being lazy, who are just sleeping in and playing video games, who are not working out so they’re putting on pounds, losing muscle and strength and mobility and durability in their muscles and bones and joints. And then, next thing you know, the season starts back up again and they give us a couple weeks before we go to [finish the] regular season or we go straight to the playoffs, and guys’ bodies aren’t nearly the same as they were before the stoppage began. So, there is concern. I do have concern for myself and other guys across the league who may not take this break seriously and try to rest a little too much or who don’t have the equipment and everything that they need to get stronger, stay ready and stay prepared.
For sure. You mentioned that the Clippers sent you some equipment to help you work out at home. I know some teams have sent treadmills or exercise bikes or weights to players. Some teams are sending different workouts to the players as well. What exactly did the Clippers send you?
PP: Yeah, so everything is different for different teams. Some teams have sent out treadmills, like you said. I’ve heard of teams sending ladders and I’ve heard of teams sending ellipticals. I’ve heard a number of things that certain guys across the league have gotten from their team and their own strength coach. For me, personally, I’ve received ladders, weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, BOSU balls, benches, boxes, jump-ropes… I have pretty much everything that I need – of course, minus a treadmill. But I basically have everything that I need.
As far as what we do as a team, I want to say three-to-four times a week, our strength coach puts us all in a Zoom session and every morning around, like, 10 a.m. there will be some type of hour-long workout. We all just sign in on the Zoom session and our trainer is right there, leading a workout for an hour. That’s what we do. I’m not sure what everyone else does, but I feel like there’s some type of set-up across the league that allows guys to at least get in an hour-long workout with equipment that has been sent from the team and with either their strength coach or a yoga instructor – if they have a yoga instructor on the team. I know guys who are doing yoga sessions to keep their body mobile and their joints good and their muscles loose. The Clippers have done a great job, a solid job, getting us the equipment that we need to set up in our homes so we can stay in shape and stay ready to the best of our abilities.
Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
Hopefully, this virus will get contained soon and things can start returning to normal. The NBA is obviously hoping to resume the season and crown a 2020 champion. What are the Clippers telling you guys when it comes to the possibility of the season resuming?
PP: Everyone from the Players’ Union to the coaching staff to the people within the Clippers organization seem to be confident that the season will continue at some point this year. Whether that’s in the summer or whether that’s in August, at some point the season will begin and they will finish it. How the season will finish off and play out is a big question – whether you get a little bit of training camp and regular season and then playoffs, or a little bit of training camp and you go straight to the playoffs [remains to be seen]. The playoffs could be the best-of-three or the best-of-five or whatever it may be; it could be shorter. No one really knows. But the number one thing right now that I seem to be getting from everyone is that the season will commence at some point, just no one really knows when. Things seem to be changing, of course, with the virus and the virus’ ability to affect others and the population. People [are still] getting sick right now, so no one knows when it’s going to begin. But I think the important thing for us in the NBA, as far as our job goes, is that it will commence at some point.
What does a typical day look like for you right now?
PP: Man, I wake up usually around 10 a.m. and have some breakfast. I do a little hour or hour-and-a-half workout, whether that’s strength-and-conditioning or going on a run or yoga; I mix it up every other day. I have lunch, then I’m writing, reading, playing video games or watching TV shows or movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, whatever it may be. Then, I have dinner and then I do the same thing until I fall asleep with video games and TV. And then, literally, the same thing the next day. Every day is basically the exact same right now. I’m trying to stay home as much as possible, so the only time I really leave the house is to grab groceries (and I’m careful with that whole process) or to go for some type of run somewhere in my neighborhood.
What shows have you been watching? I know everyone is talking about “Tiger King,” so I watched that. I finally saw “Billions” too.
PP: Man, the amount of shows that I have watched during this time is incredible. Of course, “Ozark.” I think everyone was waiting on that to finally drop, so I watched that. “Tiger King.” I found a show called “Kingdom.” “Altered Carbon.” “The Stranger,” which I finished last night. “On My Block.” “The Sinner.” I even watched “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” That’s what the quarantine is doing to me right now (laughs). There’s so much stuff that I’ve watched. One of my friends told me to watch “Righteous Gemstones,” which is on HBO NOW. There was another one on HBO, “The Outsider,” which I watched. I’m literally flying through shows, it’s incredible.
I’ve been so impressed with the NBA players who are donating to nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, paying the arena employees who are out of work and so on. In some cases, the players have stepped up way more than the billionaire owners. How proud are you to see the NBA community making a difference?
PP: Oh, I’m very proud of my NBA brotherhood stepping up and helping out those who are less fortunate, [helping] the workers, having meals sent out to families that need food, being a part of food drives and donating to people who are in a position to get food to people. I think the guys in the NBA are doing a great job. A little bit goes a long way. It doesn’t matter how much you donate, but if you do, trust me, it goes a long way. I’m very proud of those guys. My wife got us to help and donate to animal shelters where, obviously, a lot of pets and animals are hanging out and don’t have the ability to have a roof over their heads and a meal every single day and, with the virus, there can’t be a lot of workers and people around them so we wanted to help out L.A. dog shelters and donate to them to help out the animals and hopefully get animals into homes. People are home right now and can’t do anything and you’re alone and bored. What better thing to cheer you up right now and occupy your time than a dog? So my wife and I helped out with that. Shout out to guys in the NBA, NFL NHL or WNBA [who stepped up] and anyone who isn’t an athlete who helped out the people in their neighborhood and their district. I just think it’s big that we all come together and help out each other in some type of way.
Also, the NBA donated $50 million and they made a huge impact when they decided to suspend the season. I think that caused many other sports leagues and businesses to shut down, which probably saved lives.
PP: I agree. The NBA stepping up and doing something like that most likely had a positive effect on the outcome of this situation. If they didn’t do anything and waited another couple of days or even a week, who knows where we would be right now?
As viewers, we’re all missing basketball because we want a distraction now more than ever. But, as a player, you’ve played basketball just about every day since you were very young. How much are you missing basketball and five-on-five right about now?
PP: Oh, I’m missing it so much, like crazy. I’m talking to a couple of guys who retired and obviously it’s not the same level – it’s a different feeling – but I’ve just been talking to guys who retired and are no longer playing the game that they love and just trying to get feedback and advice. Once they retired and they knew they weren’t playing anymore, what was their mindset? What did they do? What were their next moves? How did they wake up every single day to do something [else]? I’m just trying to apply what [they’ve told me] in the conversations that I’ve had with them because although basketball will resume at some point, people always talk about life after basketball. I think right now is a big opportunity for guys across the league to, of course, stay in shape and stay focused, but also to look at different aspects of life like, “Okay, if this was the end of my basketball career, what would I do?” Would you still be working out as much? Do you think you’d have a plan in order to generate income or keep yourself busy and take care of your family? For me, it sucks and I want to play. I love basketball and I’ve played my whole life. But, right now, I’m thinking about life after basketball too. What can I do to make myself more comfortable with that day when it finally comes? So, that’s just the whole mindset that I’m trying to put myself in right now, just trying to stay away from, “Man, I can’t play the game I love…” [Instead], I’m getting in the mindset of, “Alright, what can I do now to solidify myself later on down the road – whenever that day comes?”
That’s really smart. I feel like the players who struggle in retirement are the ones who never thought about life after basketball and then they’re suddenly thrown into it. Planning ahead is so important and a number of retired players have given that advice on this podcast, so I love that you’re doing that. What do you want to do after basketball? Hopefully that’s not for a while, but do you know what you’d want to do next?
PP: Yeah, hopefully that’s not for at least another five years. But yeah, for me, I love movies – I’m huge on movies – so me and a good friend of mine that I’ve known for quite some time plan on starting our own production company and creating and producing our own films and TV shows. Our ultimate dream and ultimate goal is to get [a film] into South by Southwest, TIFF or the Sundance Film Festival and maybe a huge company picks it up or maybe it goes to a theater or at least gets to Hulu or Netflix or some type of streaming network. That’s the ultimate goal. That’s the ultimate dream. The past couple of years, I’m just trying to piece by piece put that together. And now, like I said, during this whole situation, I feel like this is as great an opportunity as any to actually put the hard hat on and focus a lot more on that.
Speaking of movies, you do a thing called Lockdown Movie Night where you watch a movie on Netflix with your Instagram followers and do a Q&A while everyone watches the film. How did that come together?
PP: I used to do this thing during the year called Pat Presents and get a movie before it was released in theaters and pick 100-to-200 fans and all of us would just get together in a movie theater and sit down, have some snacks and watch the movie. Then, I’d take pictures, sign autographs and talk to them afterward. I used to do that, like, once a month. Since this situation has happened and I can no longer do that, now we’ll watch a movie via Netflix – all 50 of us at the same time. We all jump in a chat room, talk back and forth about the movie, what everyone’s been up to, our families and they can ask me questions about the season and just whatever comes to mind. Then, once the movie is over, we hold a quick Q&A – about three-to-five questions – and whoever gets the questions, right, I’ll send them a little care package with some Clippers stuff, some autographed stuff and some memorabilia. I’ll send it their way. It’s something that I started doing last week. I’ve had two and the third one will be tonight (4/10). I hold it on my Instagram (@pdpatt) and anyone who wants to be a part of it can just comment under the post and I just randomly pick the fans and send them a quick DM with the link and then we all just hang out and watch a movie on Netflix.
That’s awesome. What’s your favorite movie of all-time?
PP: For me, it’s tough, so I usually do it by genre. My favorite drama of all-time is “Gladiator.” My favorite horror movie of all-time is the original “Nightmare on Elm Street.” My favorite comedy is a toss-up between “Superbad” and “Step Brothers.” My favorite thriller would be “Se7en” with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Action is the toughest one because there’s like crazy good action movies every single year, from Marvel to even one of the Fast and Furious movies (I think it was 5 or 6, I can’t remember which one it was). There are just so many great action movies that come out every year, it’s hard for me to pick one. For sci-fi, either the original “Alien” movie or the original “Blade Runner” or “The Matrix,” which is solid as well. I have to do it by genre since I’m a huge movie fan, a huge movie buff, so it’s hard for me to only pick one.
Let’s talk about the season a bit. Your Clippers were 44-20 and one of the top teams in the NBA before the season was suspended. Is it even more frustrating that this happened during a season when you are potentially so close to competing for a championship?
PP: Oh, yeah. I haven’t been in this type of situation as far as my chances to win a championship since one of my years in Toronto, so it’s tough, especially like right now since we just acquired Marcus Morris and were working him into the system. Everyone was getting more comfortable with each other on the court – Joakim Noah, Reggie Jackson. We were just getting all these new additions to the team and starting to gel and figuring each other out and figuring out what we need to be and what we need to do and starting to gain some momentum and then next thing you know, at the snap of a finger, and we’re where we are now. Then, it’s like, “Okay, back to the drawing board again once this whole ordeal ends.” But being in one of the best situations I’ve had in my life as far as chances to make it to the Finals and having great guys on my team that I genuinely enjoy being around every single day – from Lou [Williams] to Pat [Beverley] to ‘Trez [Harrell] to JaMychal [Green] to Paul [George] to Kawhi [Leonard] and the list goes on and on, all of those guys are such fun, great guys to be around – having to take a step back from all that right now sucks. It definitely sucks, which is why I’m eagerly waiting for it to all start back up again.
The Clippers entered this season with a lot of new players – and two new focal points in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – and then continued adding more players throughout the year. Was it tough to get everyone on the same page and develop chemistry?
PP: Yeah, we went a long time without having a full roster, a healthy roster, where every single individual suited up for the game. We’ve had guys in and out; we’ve had games without Kawhi, we had a whole bunch of games without Paul to start the season, Pat went down, Lou had something, ‘Trez had something, Sham (Landry Shamet) had something… It just felt like there wasn’t really one game where we were fully healthy or we at least had everyone suited up and available to play. We had guys in and out lineups, which I think is a good thing, ultimately, in the long run just because we’ve had opportunities and chances to play with different lineups and different people out there on the court, so different guys have been in game-time situations [together]. As the season progressed and guys started getting healthy and getting back out there on the court and we were acquiring guys here and there steadily throughout the season – just great additions to the team – everyone was just having a good time with each other, having fun out there on the court and just joking in the locker room. It was a good process. It was a roller coaster, up and down, losing some games that we should’ve won, having situations with guys getting hurt that you don’t want to get hurt and you wanted them out there as fast as possible, but I think, ultimately, at the end, we all came together and we were all on the same page and focused and ready to make a solid push toward the championship.
How much communication have you had with your teammates at this time?
PP: We talk every day. There’s always at least someone talking in the group chat, so we’re all connected via our iMessage and there seems to be communication with at least two people every single day. Someone will send a meme. Someone will send some type of update with the COVID-19 crisis going on in the world. Of course, right now, there’s that Players Only NBA 2K challenge going on. ‘Trez is playing and Pat played the other day, so [we’re discussing that]. There’s constant communication going on with us. Even though we can’t be around each other, guys are still talking and checking up on each other’s families and making sure everyone’s working out and staying ready.
What’s it like playing with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and does that duo make life easier for everyone around them?
PP: Yeah, it makes everything easy. I’m very blessed to have Paul, and Kawhi as teammates. They’re great guys, great family men. They care about the team. They care about winning and they always care about doing the right thing. For me, it makes my job easier and definitely more fun, being out there on the court playing alongside them. And then, of course, you throw in Lou Williams, who’s arguably one of the best sixth men to ever play the game – I have him and Jamal Crawford [as the best] – and then ‘Trez and his ability to score at will and just be dominant out there on the court and all those guys, it makes stepping out there on the court and my job a lot easier and more fun.
The Clippers and Lakers were widely regarded as the two best teams in the Western Conference and both were being picked as possible champions. What’s it been like to experience that Clippers-Lakers rivalry firsthand?
PP: It’s nothing but pure entertainment seeing the fans and the people all throughout the city of L.A. Right now, everyone knows L.A. is a Lakers town, it’s Laker city. We’re hoping we can change that, obviously, with the championship this year. But this is pure entertainment, man. The fans make it enjoyable with the bickering back and forth and the banter and just the energy. Whenever you step on the court against the Lakers, whether they’re the home team or we’re the home team, you just know that it’s going to be a tough, hard-fought game with a lot of passion behind each and every play. So, it’s just entertainment. It’s just pure joy and pure entertainment.
The former Thunder forward talked about the end of his time in OKC ahead of Monday’s matchup between the Clippers and Oklahoma City.
While you can’t go home again, you can always visit.
For former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Patrick Patterson, “home” for his last two seasons will actually be “away”, as the team he played for prior to his new club, the Los Angeles Clippers, visits Staples Center Monday evening.
Enthusiastic to be in his new home after seeing his role with the Thunder diminish and then effectively dry up, Patterson doesn’t look back with ire at how his last opportunity ended.
As his playing time began to shrink, and recent arrival Markieff Morris’ grow while the team’s fortunes grew increasingly worse, it would be easy to be resentful. But the Washington (D.C.) native doesn’t blame Morris, or the organization for how his tenure with OKC turned out.
“I don’t think it was just one thing,” Patterson said of the Thunder’s end-of-season collapse, and his eventual ejection from the rotation, which saw him sitting 24 of the team’s final 29 games, according to The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto.
“Coaching staff, not everyone on the same page from the heads up top to the players on the bottom, added the Kentucky product. “Effort on the players’ part. Focus, playing together, playing good solid defense with communication. We missed a lot of shots. We didn’t capitalize on opportunities.”
Relishing his next opportunity to play along recent champion Kawhi Leonard and All-Star forward Paul George, Patterson is embracing playing for the Clippers this season. “Finding a role again, finding a group of guys who push and believe in me and challenge me,” he explained as key elements of his new situation that most appealed.
“Just being happy, having fun. I think all that contributes to a new, clean slate and that’s what I have here right now.”
Patterson looks forward to seeing his new teammates in Los Angeles, and plans to catch up with them before the game. Don’t expect him to give his former franchise a light touch come gametime, however.
“It’ll be all smiles until the ball is thrown up in the air and that clock starts,” offered Patterson on how he’ll be approaching the game.
If history is any judge, the Thunder should take him at his word.
