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Warriors: Recap of Zaza Pachulia’s Time in Golden State

By Andrew Ites

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 3: Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Two of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 3, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 3: Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Two of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 3, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Warriors and Zaza Pachulia will be parting ways after two seasons together after signing a free agent contract with Detroit. His time in Golden State should be remembered fondly.

The Warriors signed Zaza Pachulia as a free agent in the summer of 2016, which earned slightly fewer headlines than their other major signing that offseason.

Pachulia immediately became Golden State’s starting center as he started 139 games over the past two years.

Zaza never put up incredible numbers during his Warriors career. He scored 5.7 points per game with 5.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes.

However, his rebounding numbers were pretty impressive on a per-minute basis averaging 11.7 rebounds per 36 minutes.

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Zaza brought a “tough guy” element to the Warriors’ starting lineup even though many fans of other NBA teams thought he was a dirty player. Outside of a couple of controversial plays, his box outs were always effective in keeping opposing centers off the boards.

Pachulia’s minutes allowed Golden State to avoid playing Draymond Green at center for too many minutes during the regular season. Zaza’s 16 minutes per night took some of the wear and tear off of Draymond and kept him healthy for the playoffs where Green often started at center.

Zaza’s defense was pretty strong during his Warriors career swiping 1.6 steals per 36 minutes over two years. He acted as the anchor of one of the best defenses in the league even though Golden State had to play conventional pick-and-roll defense when he was in the lineup.

Next: How Will DeMarcus Cousins Fit in Golden State?

Pachulia played a vital role in Golden State’s back-to-back championships and Warriors should wish him luck for his future in Detroit.

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