While the second round of the NBA Playoffs is underway in the Orlando Bubble, the page has officially turned to draft season for the Golden State Warriors. For the first time since 2002, the Warriors will have the opportunity to make a selection in the top five.
Before October’s draft pops up on the calendar, Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s draft history to highlight some of the most memorable selections — trades, surprises, busts, sleepers and everything in between.
With a pair of second-round picks in the 2020 edition of the draft, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could try to build off their late pick success from 2019.
June 20, 2019
The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies kicked off 2019 draft day by selecting Duke’s Zion Williamson and Murray State’s Ja Morant with the first two picks. Fast forward 39 selections and the Golden State Warriors were on the clock with the No. 11 pick in the second round of the draft.
After taking Michigan’s Jordan Poole in the first round, Myers and Kerr opted to draft Eric Paschall out of Villanova with the No. 41 overall selection.
During his senior season, Paschall averaged 16.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the field with 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. In his final season in Jay Wright’s program, the New York native earned All-Big East honors.
With injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in his rookie season, Paschall quickly developed into a lead offensive weapon for Kerr. In Golden State’s first win at the newly opened Chase Center in San Francisco, Paschall broke out, leading the Warriors with a career-high 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field.
Paschall capped off his first season in the association averaging 14.0 points on 49.7% shooting from the field with 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Watch highlights from Paschall’s rookie season via YouTube:
After ranking in the top 10 in both points and rebounds per game for 2019-20 rookies, the 23-year-old earned votes in the Rookie of the Year race. Paschall placed at No. 6 in the award voting. The Warriors rookie was the only second-round pick to receive votes.
Along with Paschall, Morant and Williamson, other notable members of the 2019 draft class included North Carolina’s Coby White, Kentucky’s Tyler Herro, Washington’s Matisse Thybulle, Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke, and Rui Hachimura
Undrafted free agents from the 2019 class included Boston College’s Ky Bowman, Ole Miss Terence Davis, Arizona State’s Luguentz Dort, and UCF’s Tacko Fall.
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