Golden State Warriors rookie Eric Paschall has been thrust with big minutes and a starting role in the wake of injuries to Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. Yet his former coach, Jay Wright of Villanova, thinks he will fit just fine once the Warriors' All-Star core returns to the court.
“You know, he’s a much better shooter than people know,” Wright told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “He’s not the pure shooter, like, well, he’s playing with Klay and Steph, who are two of the purest shooters in the history of the game. But Eric is one of those guys whose shot isn’t pretty, but it goes in all the time.
“I really think he can do it. The beauty of him is his versatility and I think he loves winning over individual points, statistics. He’s old school that way. He’s a great fit for those guys. When they need him to get buckets, he can, but whatever they need him to do defensively, rebounding, screening, he’ll take pleasure in that.”
So far, Paschall has been a scorer and a rebounder, showing decent double-double potential. As a defender, he isn't yet the Draymond Green many were expecting him to be, rather laying closer to a Thompson level of defensive sturdiness without the steals and blocks to back up that claim.
The 41st overall selection has decent foot speed and a strong frame to keep opponents from barreling into him on offense. He's not huge by any means at 6-foot-6, but he makes up for the height difference with his athleticism and grit — attributes he will be able to carry on, even if he slides into a reserve role next season.
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