UTAH JAZZ
Donovan Mitchell Offers Pep Talk To Warriors Draft Pick Eric Paschall
Jun 22, 2019, 1:36 PM
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It’s going to be a busy offseason for Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and he recently spent some time motivating a newly drafted player on how to have success in the NBA.
Mitchell’s good friend, former Villanova star Eric Paschall was selected in by the Golden State Warriors with the 41st pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. The two played AAU basketball together when they were growing up outside of New York City.
The experts believe that the Warriors could have gotten a steal for Paschall in the second round and Mitchell agreed.
"Coaches call me mini Draymond."#DubNation's newest member @Epaschall4 looks to model his game after @Money23Green.
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 21, 2019
“I’m biased, but I’m gonna say it because he was my best friend growing up — Eric Paschall,” Mitchell said to reporters. “He brings so much to a team that’s ready to compete now.
“He’s a defender, he’s athletic, he can shoot and he’s strong. He wasn’t like that when we were younger. He was always the lanky one so I always give him a lot of [flak] for that,” Mitchell continued.
Following Paschall’s selection, Mitchell was captured on video giving his friend a motivational pep talk as he begins his career.
Donovan Mitchell giving his friend and Warriors draft pick Eric Paschall the motivation to make it in the NBA ✊
(via @CAA_Basketball) pic.twitter.com/OzV7WHyX6h
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 22, 2019
Mitchell is no stranger to having immediate success in the NBA. He took the NBA by storm as a rookie in 2017-18, leading the Jazz in scoring, winning the Slam Dunk Contest and finishing second in the voting for Rookie of the Year.
Next season will be Mitchell’s third year in the NBA.
