SAN FRANCISCO -- An expression of resignation appeared across Eric Paschall's face about an hour after the Warriors' Christmas win over the Houston Rockets.
His current state is not the result of his play, but rather a freshly diagnosed hip contusion that has the rookie forward out for Friday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. In the last week, Paschall's rookie season scoring and rebounding averages have dropped from 16.0 and 5.0 per game, respectively, to 14.7 and 4.7 per contest.
Paschall appears to be hitting the "rookie wall," a phenomenon in which high minutes and more games affect a first-year pro's performance.