Utah Jazz forward Eric Paschall historical comparison #1: Rodney Rogers
First of all, we should establish a baseline: these are ideal comparisons for Eric Paschall. Utah Jazz fans will be more-than-satisfied if Paschall’s career develops in the fashion of Rodney Rogers’.
In fact, Paschall could take direct inspiration from Rogers. Selected with the 9th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, Rogers was actually a somewhat subpar defender himself in his early years, at least according to Defensive Rating. He posted a fine mark of 103 in his rookie season, dropped to 107 in his sophomore campaign, and then had a particularly unimpressive figure of 111 in his third season (not far off of Paschall’s 113 from 2020-21).
In 1999-00, Rogers’ age 28 season, something clicked on the defensive end; and by clicked, we mean erupted. His 99 Defensive Rating that year qualifies as elite, and Rogers would go onto post several sub-100 Defensive Ratings over the remainder of his NBA career, including an incredible 96 mark in 2003-04 for the New Jersey Nets.
Such a remarkable defensive turnaround is rare in the NBA, but Rogers’ career proves that it is a possibility. Meanwhile, he carved out a solid niche as an auxiliary offensive piece, averaging a career high 15.1 points per game for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1997-98. He was also ahead-of-his-time as a stretch 4, with a career 34.7% conversion rate on 2.3 three-point attempts per game.
Paschall may have more natural offensive talent than Rogers ever did, but if he hopes to become a long-term contributor for the Utah Jazz, a similar defensive turnaround would go a long way towards serving that end. Physically, the two forwards share a similar profile, as Rogers was a 6’7, 235 pound combo forward (who would inevitably see time as a small ball 5 in 2021) where Paschall stands 6’6 at 255 pounds.
In fact, shedding a few pounds may give Paschall the mobility he needs to improve his defensive performance. If he prefers his current playing weight, that may be fine as well: Utah Jazz fans should pay more attention to the development of his Defensive Rating.
With any luck, it’ll follow the same trajectory as Rodney Rogers’.