Zaza Pachulia had perhaps his best outing of the year coming off the bench, showing signs of life despite his recent demotion after holding the starting center spot for his entire stint with the team since the 2016-17 season.
The Georgian big man put up a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double in 25 minutes of action after missing his two field-goal attempts against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Pachulia was overtaken by the younger, more athletic JaVale McGee, who was inserted into the starting lineup as the Warriors looked for more constant contributions during the first quarter, in dire need of McGee's energetic play.
“It’s tough when you don’t know if you’re going to play or when you’re going to play. But keeping the consistency and keeping in shape is important,” Pachulia said, according to Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News. “You have to keep your mind in it.”
Yet, a game like this is a clear sign that the 34-year-old is still very much engaged despite his change of role.
“It didn’t shock me. Zaza is so professional,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of his stellar performance, a contrast to the rest of the starters. “I know things haven’t gone his way the last couple of weeks. But he’s been working every single day.”
The Warriors are hopeful to get some of their players back in the rotation for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the likes of Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, David West, and Jordan Bell in line to return after missing the last few games.
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