Warriors Hire Zaza Pachulia as Consultant in Return to Villain Status
By Daniel Marcillo
One of the most hated villains during this decade of the NBA is returning to where his legend grew.
At least, in his new role with the Warriors, it seems unlikely he'll be able to injure any opponents intentionally.
Zaza Pachulia has been brought in as a team consultant for the Golden State Warriors, ideally to do something other than teach players how to close out.
The Warriors have hired Zaza Pachulia as a team consultant and announce they have promoted Mike Dunleavy Jr. to assistant general manager
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 29, 2019
Pachulia will be a consultant for both business and basketball operations for the organization, as he tries to settle into his life after basketball.
The controversial big man finally called it a career after 16 seasons as a center in the league. He was part of two championship teams with the Warriors, and was best known for, well, injuring Kawhi Leonard in 2016-17.
"Should he have done it? No."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 16, 2017
The #InsidetheNBA crew debates Zaza Pachulia's Game 1 closeout on Kawhi Leonard. pic.twitter.com/lubJP2rVEa
At only 34, the early ending to his career comes as a surprise. He played in 68 games, but only started three for the Detroit Pistons. It was his lowest amount of games started since the 2009-10 season.
During his Warriors career, he averaged six points and five rebounds and played a very vital role in their postseason pursuits. Hopefully, he translates that impact to the new role.