Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors: Zaza Pachulia Isn't Actually Useless

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:05 a.m. ET

Fansided, Nicholas Gonzalez/FanSided via Sir Charles In Charge

Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia has the second most frontcourt fan All-Star votes in the West, nearly more than Kevin Durant. A lot of people are upset because they claim he is useless, well I’m here to prove you otherwise

Zaza Pachulia’s Per 36 Stats in the 2016-17 Season: 10.8 PPG 11.1 RPG 4.0 APG 1.6 SPG .9 BPG

Zaza Pachulia is currently one of the most hated players in the NBA, and probably for good reason. He has almost 1M NBA All-Star game votes and he doesn’t even play 20 minutes per game.

Players like DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard all have less than him, and by sizable margins. The crazy thing is that Zaza Pachulia isn’t actually that bad. Per 36 minutes Zaza is actually putty up very quality stats.

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Pachulia is also a vital asset to the Golden State Warriors, as odd as that may seem. Golden State’s two best lineups both feature Zaza in them. In their starting five of Curry/Thompson/Durant/Green/Pachulia, they have 120 ORTG and only a 98 DRTG. That’s rather insane, also the fact when you factor in “useless” Zaza Pachulia is the main man down low there.

Their second best lineup, which has even more, insane numbers, although fewer minutes together, is Curry/Thompson/Iggy/Green/Zaza. That lineup has an ORTG of 151 and DRTG of 85. That has to be one of the best lineups in the NBA even if it is just 30 minutes of play.

Pachulia’s overall ratings for himself this season are also ridiculous. He has an offensive rating of 118 and a defensive rating of 102, MVP caliber numbers dare I say it. Not exactly, but you get the idea.

The purpose of this article wasn’t to prove to that he deserves a spot in the ASG, because he doesn’t. It was moreso to provide a counter argument that Zaza Pachulia isn’t actually useless.

If the Golden State Warriors want to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, it will need to start from the paint out, not from the perimeter in. You know who spends most of his time in the paint? Zaza Pachulia. So opposite to common belief, Pachulia is necessary to the Warriors success, possibly moreso than Klay Thompson.