Due to a conflagration of severe injuries and immense roster turnover, the Golden State Warriors are searching for a next generation of ballers to support their tried-and-true All-Stars. The reigning Western Conference champions have embraced a youth movement following five straight trips to the NBA Finals, and one of their most promising rookies is “The Young Bully” Eric Paschall.
When Paschall scored 34 points on November 4th, 2019, it was special for three reasons.
1.) It was his birthday!
2.) He led the Warriors to their first ever win at Chase Center
3.) He became one of only seven Warriors rookies over the last 20 years to have a 30-point game.
Now I know in your head you’re probably already counting them out, guessing which young Dubs were responsible for the scoring outbursts over the last two decades, so let me save you some time.
- Monta Ellis’ high as a rookie was 27 points against Utah. He wouldn’t cross the 30-point threshold until his second year, when he scored 31 on November 18th, 2006.
- Harrison Barnes also didn’t score 30 until his sophomore season, April 16th, 2014, when he scored 30 on the dot.
- For those curious about Antawn Jamison (whose rookie season was ‘98-’99), guess again. The guy the Dubs traded Vince Carter for didn’t score 30 as a rookie. It wasn’t until his sophomore season, January 17th, 2000, that he dropped 32 on Orlando.
I created a video for GSoM’s YouTube channel tracking the rookie 30-point games for Golden State, and here’s the table from BBallref that helped me collect the data.
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(Random fun fact: Gilbert Arenas is the youngest Warriors rookie to ever score 30!)
Paschall is showing signs of being a special scorer, one that would fit in quite nicely alongside the healthy Splash Bros.
Enjoy the video, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!