Draymond Green’s absence during Warriors training camp, this week and beyond, is giving Eric Paschall an opportunity to make a case for playing time. His best chance to earn minutes is by making no attempt to be the next Draymond Green.
If Paschall can maximize his gifts, not the least of which is inherent desire, that will be enough. He’ll get minutes. But it’s unfair to expect a second-year power forward to replicate what a three-time NBA All-Star brings.
Draymond is a defensive unicorn. He’s a small power forward capable of guarding every position. He coordinates team defense with voice and gesture. Above all, he feels what an opponent wants to do. Most players can read the action, but he’s among the few to comprehend its purpose.
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He came to the NBA eight years ago with instincts, and those can’t be taught.
Entering the NBA 14 months ago with a physique and an athleticism Draymond will never know, Paschall’s best chance to make an impact on a playoff-caliber team is to use those attributes, along with attitude and effort, to compensate for that which Draymond has an aptitude.
The reasonable expectation is that plenty of watching and studying can help Paschall learn, in real time, some of what Draymond keeps in his head. Anything more is doomed to fail.
“The biggest thing that I'm on (Paschall) about every day is his defense,” coach Steve Kerr said Friday. “He's got to get better, especially as a weakside defender. He’s gotten better on the ball; we're seeing him put pressure on people, use his length. But he's got to get better off the ball and recognize patterns and our schemes and be a better weakside help defender.”
Golden State Warriors
One should hope Kerr isn’t projecting the Draymond standard for off-ball defense, recognizing patterns and locking down the weakside. Draymond was been acing those factors at Michigan State.
“It’s just hard, because it's a lot of space,” Paschall said of weakside defense. “Teams need that weakside defender to be there, because you can’t camp in the lane. It’s not college. So, I’m just adjusting to that, watching film and just trying to be more active on the weakside.”
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Paschall needs to improve in those areas, but there is little concern that he won’t. His work ethic is solid, his ambition palpable. If he reaches “satisfactory” level as a team defender, it’s a win for the Warriors.
If Paschall reaches that same level as a playmaker – his improvement there as a rookie was evident – that also would be a win. Draymond is an elite point forward, utilizing some of the same virtues that allow him to excel on defense. As a ball-handler, he feels the action and orchestrates his teammates to produce a synergy that tends to provide easy shots.
Where Paschall has the potential to outperform Draymond, though, is as a scorer. He has decent touch on his midrange game. He has pick-and-pop potential. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, he’s powerful enough to play “bully ball” in the paint – but also explosive enough to rise above traffic for dunks.
“We thought he could be pretty good because of his size and strength and athleticism. That’s a pretty good combination right there,” Kerr said, reflecting on drafting Paschall No. 41 overall in 2019. “He slid in the draft because he's wasn't known as a 3-point shooter.”
So, of course, Paschall is looking to add that to his game. He shot 28.7 percent (37-of-129) from deep as a rookie. The Villanova product has made some slight alterations to his form in hopes gaining consistency. It’s still in development, but there are signs of progress.
Green likely will not play in the preseason. That means deeper evaluation of Paschall, who is expected to start at power forward in the preseason opener Saturday against the Nuggets.
It’s conceivable that Paschall will get the bulk of the minutes at power forward when the regular season opens on Dec. 22. He already knows what he has to get better at to earn meaningful minutes as the season grinds on.
“The 3-point shot, but also defensively,” Paschall said. “I feel like I've been playing a lot better defensively, just bringing energy keeping guys in front and I feel like that I will be a big contributor defensively on this team.”
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“Big contributor” is a lofty forecast. It’s also relative. Draymond’s defense was a crucial element in the Warriors making five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. He set an irrational standard.
Paschall's journey to the NBA drew comparisons to that of Green. Four-year collegians who flew under the radar because they didn't wow scouts.
But for the Warriors to surprise the skeptics, and there are many, Paschall can’t worry about meeting the Draymond standard. It’s enough if he avoids being a liability on defense – as long as his playmaking continues to trend up and his scoring becomes an asset.