Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pulled Eric Paschall aside before a recent practice and gave him a new assignment: He’d be playing center.

“He was like, ‘That’ll give you an opportunity to get the ball in your hands more and attack other bigs,’” Paschall said Wednesday before the Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. “So, I was like ‘That’s fine with me.’”

As a result of Marquese Chriss suffering a broken leg in a scrimmage in Chicago, the Warriors had a hole in their center rotation. Kerr saw an opportunity to fix two problems at once: fill minutes at a position of need and put Paschall in a better position to succeed.

Paschall, a 6-foot-6, 255 pound brick wall of a player, had failed to make an impact as the starting power forward, Now he is thriving.

In five games as a small-ball center, Paschall has scored in double-digits every game and helped anchor a second unit for a Warriors team that has won four of its last five.

This isn’t a new position for Paschall, who was selected to the All-Rookie first team last season after averaging 14 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a power forward. During Paschall’s four years at Villanova, head coach Jay Wright routinely played him at center in order to leverage his strength, downhill speed and leaping ability.

“Obviously it’s not the NBA, but it’s something I did through college,” Paschall said. “So, I’m very comfortable with it.”

However, Paschall was uncomfortable starting in place of an injured Draymond Green at power forward to open the season, as he was asked to play off the ball, guard multiple positions and make 3-pointers from the corner. In two games, he averaged 6.5 points on 35.7% shooting (1-of-4 from 3-point range), 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists.

But after the move to center, he looked more like the standout rookie who used his strength, athleticism and isolation prowess to ram to the basket.

Against the Trail Blazers, Paschall out-played Portland’s backup center Enes Kanter, a traditionally-sized big man who thrives in the post. In two-straight games, Paschall used his speed to get by Kanter and his strength to contend with him in the paint. As a result, Portland was out-scored by 11 points when Kanter was on the floor.

A night later against the Kings, Paschall had his best game of the season, finishing with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting (2-for-3 from 3-point range), seven rebounds and four assists while limiting Hassan Whiteside, Sacramento’s 7-footer, to eight points and two rebounds.

“Eric has done a really good job of carving out a role for himself, and he’s put together some good games in a row,” Kerr said. “Hopefully this is a role that he can really latch on to and hold for the year.”

To do that, Paschall will still need to improve as an all-around defender. Though he has the strength to body opposing bigs in the post, Paschall is working on his help defense, understanding of positioning and grasp of the playbook.

Green, who returned three games ago from a foot injury that sidelined him for the start of the season, serves as the ideal role model for the 24-year-old and has helped Paschall learn the finer points of playing as a small-ball center.

“Being there for my teammates,” Paschall said, “as they would be for me.”

With rookie James Wiseman entrenched as the starting center and Kevon Looney the main backup, Paschall is like Golden State’s change-of-pace running back who Kerr can turn to when Stephen Curry and Green are on the bench and the offense needs a boost.

Alongside Andrew Wiggins, Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee, Paschall has the freedom to play-make and score in space.

“To move out of position and play center this year was something that’s new to him, and he’s adapted really well,” Looney said. “He’s been a matchup problem for a lot of guys. I always joke he’s one of the strongest guys in the league, so for him to show all his game has been great.”