Warriors head coach Steve Kerr discusses Eric Paschall’s rehab process from his hip injury before the Dubs vs. Mavericks game on Tuesday.
After he was selected in the second round (No. 41 overall) of the 2019 draft, Eric Paschall surprised everybody when he earned All-Rookie First-Team honors.
And he got off to a pretty strong start in Year 2, averaging 12.8 points and 3.8 rebounds from Dec. 27 to Jan. 21, while shooting 54.2 percent overall and 35 percent from deep.
But things were really up and down from there on for Paschall for a number of reasons, and he ended up missing 21 straight games in April and May because of a hip flexor strain.
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"We were trying to fit him into this style that we play," general manager Bob Myers said Wednesday on 95.7 The Game's "The Morning Roast" show. "Steve [Kerr] had him at the five, and then it became a glut there. And so trying to figure out how he could play the four was a challenge. And I think Steve would acknowledge that.
"So for Eric it's about figuring out what Steve wants from him [and] what he can bring consistently. But it was so scattered -- whether it was James [Wiseman] coming or going in the second unit ... so it's a hard one. There's not an easy answer for it."
Paschall's best skill at this point is his ability to score in 1-on-1 situations, especially when he's at the small-ball center spot.
But as Myers mentioned, the Warriors are not an isolation-heavy team.
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"He does some great things. It's just how do you showcase those things," Myers said. "And a lot of the playoffs is how you score in the halfcourt in isolation. He does that really well.
"We never got to the playoffs and we didn't play that way. So that's the challenge of figuring out how to make him fit."
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Paschall is big, strong and has the versatility to defend multiple positions. If he can become a more consistent 3-point shooter, perhaps he can play some small forward in certain lineup combinations.
But at this point in time, it's unclear exactly what his role will be on next year's team. So Paschall's development this offseason is vital, as the 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract.
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