Kentucky Basketball: Which Calipari Era Wildcat will win an NBA Title first?
There is a Kentucky Basketball player on more than half of the total NBA teams. Which Calipari Era player will win an NBA Title first?
The NBA has been dominated by the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the past three seasons. There are Kentucky Basketball players on over half of the league’s team. Which Calipari Era player has the best chance to win an NBA title within the next five seasons?
Some 2017 playoff teams that included Calipari coached Kentucky Basketball stars include the Washington Wizards (John Wall), the Toronto Raptors (Patrick Patterson), the sMemphis Grizzlies (Andrew Harrison), the Utah Jazz (Trey Lyles), and the Oklahoma City Thunder (Enes Kanter).
Now, after the NBA offseason has begun and free agency is underway, there have been some shuffling of former Kentucky Basketball stars. One player in particular has entered an organization that puts him in the best position to be the first Calipari-coached Kentucky player to win an NBA Finals Championship.
Patrick Patterson
The Oklahoma City Thunder made some of the biggest offseason moves. First, the blockbuster trade of the summer was definitely the Thunder trading to acquire Paul George. George starred for the Indiana Pacers previously. Now, George will join forces with NBA MVP Russell Westbrook in OKC. Fortunately, for Kentucky Basketball fans, Patrick Patterson signed a free agent deal with the Thunder as well landing him on a possible contender in the Western Conference.
Patterson will join Kentucky’s Enes Kanter as well. Both players were Calipari draft picks. Although Patterson was recruited to Kentucky by Billy Gillispie, he starred for John Calipari. He’s a Calipari player through and through.
With Patterson joining the revamped Thunder roster, that could possible catapult them near the top of the Western Conference behind the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will always be the favorite for as long as the core group of stars stays together. But, the Thunder could steal a series away with their current roster.
Patterson starred at Kentucky for three seasons from 2007-2010. He averaged 16 points in addition to nearly nine rebounds a game in his Wildcat career. He was a definite fan favorite during his time in Lexington. The Kentucky star started his career with the Houston Rockets. Patterson also played a short stint in Sacramento before ultimately ending up with the Toronto Raptors. For four seasons, Patterson played as mainly a bench performer.
Next: Ranking the top 25 Kentucky Basketball players of all time
Patterson will now find himself on a contender team with a great cast of players to compete for an NBA Title. At this current time, he and Enes Kanter have the best opportunity to be the first Calipari Era Kentucky Basketball players to win an NBA Finals Championship.