Steal of draft, Paschall shows promise
Surrounded by family at a pub in upstate New York last June, Eric Paschall watched 40 players get selected before him on draft night. After slipping to the second round, those at the pub echoed what Paschall already knew: He should have been drafted higher.
Despite the low expectations that come with being the No. 41 overall pick, Paschall emerged as one of the Warriors’ top players during a lottery-bound season, leading the team in total points and games played. As NBA awards voting begins, the second-round pick out of Villanova is a lock for one of the two All-Rookie teams.
“It wasn’t really something I went into the year thinking about,” Paschall said. “I was just being me, playing basketball.”
When the NBA shut down in mid-March, Paschall ranked fourth among rookies in scoring (14 points per game), fifth in rebounding (4.6) and field-goal percentage (49.7%), ninth in freethrow percentage (77.4%) and minutes per game (27.6) and 10th in assists (2.1). He is the only rookie to rank among the top five in scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage.
As the season resumes near Orlando, Florida, next week, the NBA announced that award voting will be based on games played through March 11.
In a class that features Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, RJ Barrett and Kendrick Nunn, Paschall has a case to make the All-Rookie first team. In November, he posted two 30-point games, including a 34-point, 13-rebound breakout performance against Portland on Nov 4.
“The Portland game was an eye-opener I think for a lot of people,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. “He took the game over and got us a good win.
That game was his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment.”
During All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars Challenge, he scored 23 points for Team USA and was snubbed for the game’s MVP award. (The honor instead went to Charlotte’s Miles Bridges).
But just as that award didn’t matter to Paschall then, an All-Rookie selection won’t be needed to validate his first season. Rather, as a secondround pick, Paschall simply wanted to take advantage of any playing time he got and prove he belongs in the NBA.
“I feel like I did that pretty well,” Paschall said.
This offseason will be about building on that. The Warriors have tasked Paschall, 23, with improving his outside shot. A 28.7% 3-point shooter, Paschall is changing his form: jumping less and increasing the arc of his shot. While Golden State was impressed with his ability to finish at the rim, play-make and defend, the jumper remains a priority.
After spending three weeks of the NBA’s hiatus home in New York, Paschall has been working diligently at Chase Center and is encouraged by his progress. He looks forward to deploying his newlook shot in a competitive game.
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson returning to the lineup next season, Paschall expects reduced playing time. The development of his 3-point shot will determine his role going forward.
“He’s a candidate to finish games,” Myers said, penciling in Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins into the closing lineup. “But we’re going to have to see what that (3-point shot) looks like.”
Whether Paschall is a future All-Star or helpful rotation player, he’s certainly a steal at No. 41. The Warriors were so impressed with Paschall in the lead-up to the draft that they guaranteed the third year of his contract, a rarity for second-round picks.
Making little more than $1.5 million next season, Paschall provides significant value for a club set to have the highest payroll in the league. Salaries for Curry, Thompson, Green and Wiggins total more than $130 million next season, a figure that will likely end up north of the team’s salary cap.
“We’ve got a lot of money in our top four,” Myers said. “To find a guy to compete and help us when he’s on a rookie-scale contract is really beneficial.”
When not working on his jumper or weight lifting at Chase Center, Paschall will avidly watch the NBA’s resumption of the season from his San Francisco apartment. The Warriors, with a league-worst 15-50 record, were not among the teams invited to the Disney World campus.
Instead, they will focus on competing next season. And though several players selected ahead of him have yet to establish their own careers, Paschall has emerged as part of Golden State’s future despite his second-round status.
“Can’t really complain,” Paschall said. “I got an opportunity with the Warriors to just be myself. So that’s something that I wouldn’t trade for anything, because I was able to showcase my talent.”