Golden State Warriors: Eric Paschall getting himself back on track
By Tony Pesta
Eric Paschall is getting himself back on track for the Golden State Warriors.
This season would have otherwise been deemed a total failure for the Golden State Warriors if it weren’t for the emergence of Eric Paschall.
Drafted late in the second round, few had expectations for Paschall. Then, when a number of unfortunate injuries opened up a path for more playing time, Paschall made the most of his opportunity.
Within his first 10 games, Paschall had netted his first 34 point game against the Portland Trail Blazers. A few days later, Paschall scored 30 points again and proved he had real potential as a scoring forward.
His bulky frame makes him a hand full in the paint. Once he gets moving downhill, it’s difficult for opponents to stop him from overpowering them for a layup. This was a major reason Paschall found so much success in his first few months in the NBA.
However, NBA teams are smart. Too smart to allow brute strength to beat them time and time again. By December, opponents had figured out how to slow down Paschall and limit his touches drastically.
After a red hot start, Paschall fell to just 6.6 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting across 11 games.
This was concerning but nothing to overreact about. Paschall is still a rookie and these types of slumps are to be expected of young players learning the game on the fly. Nevertheless, the Warriors hoped Paschall would pull himself out of this slump sooner rather than later.
It looks as if Paschall has responded nicely to his first speedbump in the league. He is back up to 17.3 points per game this week and recently scored 20 points for the first time since December 2nd.
Paschall has a chance to be a key component of this team moving forward and the Dubs are relying on him to continue his development. This recent stretch is a promising sign for the 23-year-old.