In an era where versatility is craved, Eric Paschall has one of the brightest futures among NBA rookies.
A do-it-all forward out of Villanova, Paschall has proven to be one of the most skilled first-year players in the league.
He scored a team-high 30 points on Sunday night during the Golden State Warriors’ 108-100 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. With the performance, Paschall is the only rookie to have multiple 30-point games this season.
One of Paschall’s best attributes is his ability to score in multiple ways. He can bully opposing players in the paint. He can move without the ball and score. He can take opponents to the rim. He’s capable of making open jumpers.
Though he’s shooting 27.3% from the 3-point line this season, his shooting from the midrange has been where he’s thrived. According to Basketball Reference, Paschall is shooting 66.7% on field goals 10-16 feet from the hoop.
Paschall is third on the Warriors in points per game (16.7), and he’s also third in the league for points per game among rookies behind Ja Morant and Kendrick Nunn, according to NBA.com.
Along with his scoring, though, Paschall grabs rebounds well and can set up his teammates. Paschall ranks fifth among rookies in rebounds per game (4.8). Paschall is also averaging 1.3 assists per game.
Full list of #NBARooks with multiple 30+ point games this year:
1. @epaschall
Every basket from EP's night in New Orleans 📽️ pic.twitter.com/tT3MrbqDzc
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 18, 2019
Earlier this month, coach Steve Kerr compared Paschall’s defense to Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker’s, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
Steve Kerr on Eric Paschall’s defense: “He’s got the speed and quickness to stay in front of a guard and obviously the strength and size to stay with a big guy down low…We feel like he can be maybe even a little like P.J. Tucker. That’d be a good comp for him.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 6, 2019
Tucker is one of the best defenders in the league, being able to defend guards and wings on the perimeter. He can also defend bigger players around the rim.
With Paschall defending in multiple places, he contests 3.0 2-point shots a game, according to NBA.com. But his work defending on the perimeter is a bit more prevalent, as he contests 3.3 3-pointers a game. That number ranks fifth among rookies this season.
Through 13 games, Paschall has showed a quality all-around game. An early Rookie of the Year candidate, Paschall has an opportunity to be a key player in the Warriors’ future.
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