William Patterson brings size and rim protection, but his New Orleans role is still limited
Patterson is a 7-foot-2 center whose best selling points are **size**, **shot-blocking upside**, and interior presence; at Three Rivers College in 2024-25 he averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 13.6 minutes while shooting 66.3% from the field, but his 2025-26 New Orleans usage has been very small so far, with only 4.4 minutes, 0.3 points, and 0.4 blocks per game across seven games. He looks like a low-usage, defensive-development bet rather than an instant-impact scorer, so a team should care if it needs a long, physical rim deterrent with room to grow rather than polished offense.[4][2][10]
