Steve Kerr recently compared Eric Paschall to P.J. Tucker, offering the perfect blueprint to success for the All-Rookie member.
Eric Paschall will have to do something special to earn a consistent role with the Golden State Warriors next season. The stars aligned for this unlikely rookie to make his mark with injuries plaguing the Dubs’ rotations for most of the year. This gap in the lineup gave Paschall the opportunity he needed to shine – now he needs to take it to another level.
Paschall won’t be the first, second, or even third option on offense anymore. He will fall somewhere behind Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins – likely sharing shots with Draymond Green and some players in the second unit.
This realization should cause a shift in Paschall’s mindset. He won’t need to score in double-figures to have a positive impact on the court. As Green said in his commentary of the Western Conference Finals when focusing on the role player battle between Michael Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma, Paschall will need to accept he isn’t the best scorer on the team and place emphasis on doing the little things.
This is the mantra that Green has lived by and its a major reason why he is a three-time champion and such a pivotal member of the dynasty.
Steve Kerr shared a similar opinion recently when he compared Paschall to P.J. Tucker of the Houston Rockets. Tucker has become a game-changer for Houston with his tenacity. Tucker’s toughness on defense and consistency to hit shots when his number is called has helped him be productive deep into his career.
Paschall has the build needed to be a plus on defense. With a little bit of added toughness, he can be an enforcer on this end of the floor. As for his offense, Paschall is a much better slasher than Green and Tucker – but he is lacking in the shooting department. Tucker has blossomed into a top-tier 3-point shooter in the corner. Can Paschall match this efficiency?
The All-Rookie member shot just 28.7 percent from deep last season. He was slightly better in catch-and-shoot scenarios but still has work to do in this area of his game.
Paschall will need to replicate what Green and Tucker have been able to do in order to succeed with the Warriors. He isn’t going to outshine the Splash Brothers, and he probably won’t outwork Green, but he can bring additional energy to the squad.