Ruben Patterson

Had his best year in 2004-05 since 2000-01 when he was with the Supersonics. He did miss a chunk of time with a sore left knee injury. Had the most minutes per game in his career with 28 minutes and shot 53 percent from the field to match his career best. Patterson averaged 11.6 points per game. His rebounding was up to 3.9 per game, but did not match his Sonics days of 5 per game. Might not be long for the Blazers this season since there was talk that he was going to be traded in the off season.

When the Blazers held their media day to kcik off training camp, Patterson told the gathering press that he wanted out of Portland. It has been speculated in the offseason that Patterson would be buried on the depth chart – especially after the team inked Darius Miles to an extension. A strong training camp has raised his profile, but he still faces an uphill battle for minutes at small forward behind Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Miles. He can play shooting guard, but access to playing time will remain a problem with Derek Anderson, Nick Van Exel and Richie Frahm all capable of playing the two.

Another troubled player in Portland. Patterson requested a trade in the offseason, but his contract limits his trade value. He’s a swing-man who plays tough defense. He has a nose for offensive rebounds, but is too small to survive close to the basket. A likely backup at small forward to Bonzi Wells, Patterson will have little fantasy value beyond a good FG PCT and some steals.