Tag: 2019 Rookies

What the Lions’ offseason moves mean for their 2019 rookie class

Examining the Detroit Lions’ offseason moves and projecting what they mean for their 2019 rookie draft class. Who gets promoted and who is pushed on the roster bubble?

The Detroit Lions have been busy this offseason. Key players on both offense and defense have left the team and gone elsewhere. New players have been brought in. Two trades were made.

Each move that Detroit made this season has impacted a player from the  2019 rookie class in some way, shape, or form.

Tight end

While the signings of tight ends Matt Sokol and Paul Butler don’t pose any threat to 2019 first-round pick T.J Hockenson, the two young players may challenge Isaac Nauta for the last spot on the depth chart.

Sokol, a former Michigan State Spartan, spent his rookie season in 2019 on the practice squads of the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars. He is a strong run-blocker who has the ability to play in a fullback role, meaning he’s in direct competition with Nauta.

Butler has slightly more experience, spending the last two seasons on the Raiders’ practice squad. His skill set is better suited for a pure-receiving role, but he could still challenge Nauta for that third tight end role.

Linebacker

This offseason, the Lions appear to have put an extra effort into their linebacker position. The team brought in four linebackers via free agency and futures deals, including Jamie Collins, Reggie Ragland, Elijah Lee, and Christian Sam (who was on the Lions’ practice squad).

Collins will start and likely alongside 2019 second-round pick Jahlani Tavai. As for the others, they pose a major threat to Anthony Pittman. Pittman spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad and earned a call-up in the final game of the season. While he’s likely to return to the practice squad for the upcoming season, these new signings lowered his chances of making the active roster.

Safety

Prior to free agency, Will Harris was slotted to be a starting safety for the Lions’ defense. Things changed quickly for him after the team traded for Duron Harmon. Harmon, a former starter in New England, is an instant upgrade at the position and will move Harris back to the third-safety role he played last season.

With the addition of special teamer and backup safety Jayron Kearse, C.J. Moore will have some fierce competition in training camp. Moore made the roster as an undrafted rookie and quickly became one of Detroit’s core players on special teams.

JACK linebacker

One 2019 draft pick who doesn’t have to worry about competition is Austin Bryant. If anything, the team’s offseason moves may have helped Bryant earn a starting role. The former fourth-round pick out of Clemson has the ability to play both JACK linebacker and defensive end, and the Lions haven’t done much to bolster either position this offseason. Instead, they released starting JACK linebacker Devon Kennard, meaning Bryant’s path to the first-team defense is wide open.

Cornerback

Amani Oruwariye is currently in the fight to be the starter alongside newly-signed Desmond Trufant. His primary competition is another recent free-agent signing: Darryl Roberts. Roberts, who will turn 30 years old during the season, started the past two seasons for the Jets. The Lions also have a chance to grab Jeff Okudah in the upcoming draft, which might mean that both Oruwariye and Roberts will be backups in 2020.

Running back

Ty Johnson hasn’t had much to worry about this offseason. The Lions brought back Wes Hills and Tra Carson on a futures deals in January and lost J.D. McKissic in free agency but haven’t done anything else at the position. The team is now housing five players at a position where they usually keep four, but it’s safe to say that Johnson has nothing to worry about.

Wide receiver

The deepest position group the Detroit Lions have is the wide receivers. The additions of Geronimo Allison, Geremy Davis, and Victor Bolden will directly impact three 2019 rookies. Travis Fulgham, Tom Kennedy, and Jonathan Duhart are all in the fight for the last one or two spots on the depth chart. Both Fulgham and Kennedy spent some time on both the practice squad and active roster in 2019. Duhart, a college teammate of Fulgham, remained on the practice squad and was brought back on a futures deal.

Fulgham and Duhart are both big-bodied receivers who fit best as outside receivers. This will put them in direct competition with Allison, Davis, and the other outside receivers on the roster. Kennedy is a pure slot receiver who can contribute on special teams as a punt returner. Unfortunately for him, so is Bolden. The two are the only current options as backups to Danny Amendola.

Offensive line

On the offensive line, Beau Benzschawel will have quite the fight ahead of him. With an opening at the right guard position, the Lions brought in a slew of interior lineman to compete. They re-signed Oday Aboushi and inked Russel Bodine, Joshua Garnett, and Casey Tucker in free agency. All three of these players have at least one season of starting experience, while Benzschawel has yet to play a snap on offense. The Lions are likely to find their starter in the draft, but these offseason moves have made it a very difficult path for the 2019 undrafted rookie earning a starting role.

Defensive line

Undrafted in 2019, Kevin Strong made a big enough impression in training camp to make the active roster. Serving as both a 3T and big-bodied edge rusher on the defensive line, Strong played well up until his season-ending injury in Week 9. The Lions brought in three more defensive tackles this offseason, Danny Shelton, Nick Williams, and Olive Sagapolu. Shelton will start at nose tackle, and Williams will likely start at 3/5T. This leaves Atkins and Sagapolu to compete with Strong as the primary backup on the defensive line.

Quarterback

David Blough was Detroit’s third-string passer in 2019 and will hold that role again in 2020. He was primed to be the backup until the Lions brought in veteran Chase Daniel.

The Detroit Lions have done a lot throughout the offseason and have added depth to each position. While this has directly impacted most of their 2019 rookie class in a negative way, it has clearly helped the team as a whole. With the draft coming up this month, expect their roles to change even more.

Warriors rookie Eric Paschall names his all-time favorite NBA players

Instead of picking his five all-time greatest, Eric Paschall named off his personal favorite NBA players.

With no basketball on the schedule, players are turning to social media to entertain themselves. A popular time-filler online has been interactive Q&A sessions with the players and fans.

“Who are your top-five players of all-time?” is a common question circulating for many players on social media. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Juan Toscano-Anderson were all asked similar questions.

Next up is Eric Paschall. In a Q&A on the Warriors Twitter account, Golden State’s rookie was asked to name his top-five NBA players of all-time. According to Paschall, narrowing down his top-five would be too hard. Instead, the Villanova product pivoted to sharing his personal favorite players.

The rookie named off a group of Hall of Famers, mixed with three current players — including one of his teammates.

Via @Warriors on Twitter:

I’m not going to name my top-five of all-time because that’s too hard. I’ll pick my favorite players of all-time. Tracy McGrady is definitely up there in terms of one of my favorites. LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], [Michael] Jordan, you can go with Shaq [O’Neil], you can go with Steph [Curry], you can go with Kevin Durant. There are too many players to just name five because there are players that are great for different reasons. I’m just going to go with my favorites with that.

After averaging 14 points on 49.7 % shooting from the field in his first NBA season, there’s a chance Paschall is already starting to catch the eye of some of his favorite players in the NBA.

Once the game action returns to the court, Golden State’s second-round pick will have 17 games to finish out an impressive rookie campaign.

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Rookie Eric Paschall reveals what he thinks is the most underrated part of his game

During the NBA hiatus, Eric Paschall spent time answering different questions on social media.

While Golden State’s season has been filled with injuries and losses, a bright spot in the Warriors down year has been the arrival of Eric Paschall. After being drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft, Paschall has exploded onto the scene in his first season in the Bay Area.

The Villanova product started his career on a Rookie of the Year pace, earning a nod to the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend in Chicago. Paschall is averaging 14.0 points on 49.7 % shooting from the field in his first season in the NBA.

Prior to the NBA suspending the season due to the coronavirus, Paschall was racking up significant numbers. Over his past seven games, the rookie tallied 19.7 points on 54.9 % shooting, with 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. Golden State added three wins to their record during that seven-game span.

During the NBA hiatus, Paschall spent time on Twitter answering questions from fans. The New York native revealed what he thinks is the most underrated part of his game.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

The most underrated part of my game is definitely my playmaking ability. I feel like I have all the tools to make the right plays. I can continue to find my teammates open because of my aggressiveness. So I would definitely say playmaking is a huge underrated part of my game.

When the NBA returns from the COVID-19 hiatus, Paschall will have 17 games remaining with Golden State to finish his impressive rookie campaign on a high note.

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March Madness: How members of the Warriors performed in the NCAA Tournament

With no basketball on the schedule, take a look at how members of the Golden State Warriors fared in the NCAA Tournament.

For many basketball fans, March is considered the best month on the calendar. Selection Sunday marks the start of a four-week, drama-filled sensation known as March Madness. However, in 2020, things are a bit different.

There will be no “Cinderella story” or “bracket busters” in the 2020 edition of the NCAA Tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA has canceled its 68-team championship tournament in precaution to COVID-19.

With no games on the NBA or college basketball schedule, Warriors Wire looked back at how members of the 2019-20 edition of the Golden State Warriors fared in March Madness.

Before they were with Golden State, three different Dubs made trips to the final game, with others stamping spots in the Elite Eight. At the same time, one newly acquired Warrior was a victim of an upset in the opening weekend.

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Rookie Eric Paschall reacts on social media to the NBA suspending the season due to coronavirus

With 17 games left on the Warriors schedule, the NBA has officially suspended the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a positive coronavirus test from Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert, the NBA suspended the 2019-20 season until further notice. In a statement from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the league will be without play for at least 30-days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Members across the NBA have taken to social media to react to the news of the league going on hiatus due to the coronavirus. The Golden State Warriors first-year forward Eric Paschall responded to his hectic rookie season being put on hold.

Via @epaschall:

After taking trips to five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, The Warriors selected Paschall out of Villanova in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. Since being drafted, Paschall’s new team has gone through a transition period that led the Warriors to the bottom of the NBA’s standings.

In Paschall’s rookie season, six of his teammates have been traded, two-time Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry has only played five games and now the status of his final 17 games are up in the air.

Following the league coming to a halt due to COVID-19, Paschall shared a post on his Twitter for everyone to “be safe.”

The Golden State Warriors were slated to host the Brooklyn Nets in San Francisco on Thursday evening with no fans in attendance at Chase Center in San Francisco. However, the next time the Warriors will take the court now comes with a question mark.

Jordan Poole’s career night vs. Magic snaps Warriors’ losing streak

Rookie Jordan Poole led the Warriors against the Orlando Magic to snap Golden State’s 10-game losing streak.

After winning four-consecutive games to end 2019, the Golden State Warriors have struggled through the start of the new decade, losing 10-straight games. However, with an unlikely hero in rookie Jordan Poole leading the way with Stephen Curry along the sideline, Golden State snapped their season-high losing streak with a 109-95 win against Orlando.

Golden State fell behind 10-0 in the opening minutes, yet was able to pick up the slack in the second and third quarters. Orlando started the fourth quarter with a burst of points to cut down the Warriors’ lead. With Golden State reeling, D’Angelo Russell took over the final period to seal Golden State’s first victory of 2020.

Rolling Rookie

After struggling throughout the start of his rookie season, the Warriors 2019 first-round draft pick has been fantastic since a short stint in the NBA’s G League.

Poole led Golden State in scoring with 21 points for a career-high. Poole has scored in double digits in his last four straight games, shooting 42.1% against the Orlando Magic, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.

After playing one half of a season at the NBA level, Poole seems to be finding his role in Steve Kerr’s rotation finally.

Stephen Curry on the call

In the third quarter, Golden State’s two-time Most Valuable Player joined the game, not as a player, but as a sideline analyst for the home-broadcast. With Curry on the call, the Warriors stormed out to an 82-71 lead behind a strong third-quarter.

The Warriors’ rookie tandem of Poole and Eric Paschall combined for 14 points in the third period. Golden State shot 13-of-20 from the field. Curry was proud of the Warriors’ performance while he was broadcasting.

Double-double D-Lo

With Curry and Klay Thompson dealing with injuries, D’Angelo Russell has filled in as the Warriors key offensive piece. However, against the Magic, Russell turned into Golden State’s facilitator for a season-high 12 assists.

Russell finished the night with a double-double, scoring 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field. When the Magic went on a run, Russell was able to step up and knock down a few big shots to close-out Orlando.

Warriors veteran says rookie Jordan Poole ‘got his swag back’

Jordan Poole had his third straight double-digit scoring performance and Glenn Robinson III thinks the Warriors’ rookie ‘got his swag back.’

During the Warriors’ 10-game losing streak, a bright spot has been the solid play of the team’s first-round draft pick, Jordan Poole. The Michigan Wolverine product took a quick detour to the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. However, since being back in San Francisco, Poole has put together one of his best stretches of the season.

Poole has scored double digits in each of his past three games, shooting 43.8 % from the field and 42.9 % from beyond the arc. A massive improvement in comparison to the rookie’s dreadful start to the season.

In a loss to the Denver Nuggets, Poole provided the Warriors an early spark, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to give Golden State the lead in the first quarter. Golden State couldn’t close out the game, but the first-year player’s performance impressed one veteran.

Glenn Robinson III spoke after the game and told the media that he’s happy to see Poole regain his confidence, while dropping a nickname for the rookie.

It’s great to see the young guys playing well — J.P; I told him he got his swag back — I started calling him ‘Microwave’ again, that’s his nickname — I call him ‘Wave.’

Robinson told the media that he knows Poole has what it takes to stick around the NBA, especially when he’s getting the Chase Center’s San Francisco crowd into it.

I’m glad to see able to him play —I know he’s an NBA player —I know he can stick in this league — to see him really find his role and he’s at his best when he keeps it simple knocking down shots — then he could get the crowd into it — that’s what he does best, he’s a great player.

Robinson III discusses the play of Poole at 2:00 in the link below.

With Jacob Evans in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Steve Kerr will have to continue to rely on Poole in the backcourt. With the rookie’s steady play of late, it’s an easy decision.