Over the past five seasons, NBA All-Star weekend has been a celebration for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson lighting up the Three-Point Shootout, while Kevin Durant takes home Most Valuable Player during the All-Star Game.
In 2019-20 things are a bit different. With most of Golden State’s core dealing with injuries, the Warriors only have one representative at All-Star weekend in Chicago.
Although the Warriors don’t have strength in numbers in Chicago, Eric Paschall is representing the Golden State brand strong in the Rising Stars Challenge.
The rookie checked into the game off the bench in the first quarter and quickly scored a bucket driving the lane.
Eric Paschall's first bucket in the Rising Star's Game! pic.twitter.com/ykRAVNQdPc
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) February 15, 2020
Paschall may not be the favorite to win the Rising Stars Challenge Most Valuable Player race. However, since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft, the Villanova product has been full of surprises at the NBA level.
Paschall’s been a proven scorer throughout his rookie season, averaging 13.2 points per game for the Golden State Warriors. The key to taking home MVP in an All-Star game is filling the stat sheet. For Paschall, getting on the board early is critical.