At last year’s All-Star Game, the Golden State Warriors were represented with three players in the game, plus a contestant in the three-point contest. The year before, they sent a whopping four players to the All-Star Game (for the second straight year), as well as a player in the three-point contest.
By comparison, this year’s All-Star weekend is devoid of Warriors players.
Golden State is only sending one player to snowy Chicago for the mid-season festivities: Rookie Eric Paschall, who is competing in the Rising Stars game, which you can watch at 6:00 p.m. PT on TNT.
Paschall, the 41st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is a deserving player in the game. He started the year off with a huge bang, and enters the All-Star break averaging 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.
Warriors fans haven’t gotten to see him share the court with much firepower yet, as Klay Thompson has been sidelined all season, and Steph Curry has only played four games. So while the Rising Stars game may not feature any defense, it will present an opportunity for Paschall to share the court with established young stars like Trae Young, Zion Williamson, and Ja Morant.
It should be a fun game - any game with Young, Williamson, and Luka Doncic figures to be - and a nice palate cleanser if you make the mistake of watching the All-Star Celebrity Game (4:00 p.m. PT, ESPN).
And when in doubt, it’s the only glimpse of Warriors basketball that we’ll get until Thursday, so enjoy.