The Wolves acquired Justin Patton on draft night as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Patton was the 16th pick in the draft out of Creighton. Here are five facts you might not have known about the big man:
5. Patton grew up a Timberwolves fan. He told us on draft night that growing up in Omaha, the two options were the Wolves and the Nuggets. He chose the Wolves. Funny how things work.
4. Patton redshirted his first year at Creighton in 2015. It paid off. He was named Big East Freshman of the Year in 2016-17 and a member of the Second Team All-Big East while averaging 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
3. Per 40 minutes, Patton was an animal, averaging 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
2. From his freshman to sophomore year of high school, Patton grew from 6-1 to 6-9.
“It was a long process, that’s the main reason why I had to redshirt,” Patton said after the Wolves acquired him. “I had to get used to my body again and lift weights and get acclimated to everything. That’s a reason I was falling down a lot was because I was clumsy and not used to my body.”
1. After being a first-round pick, Patton became the fourth Creighton player to go in the first round and the first freshman from the school to be drafted in any round.