TJD’s undeniable evolution in Warriors deserves reward originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Although coach Steve Kerr is not ready to announce his starting lineup for opening night, it is becoming evident that a man who juggled DNP and G League assignments early last season will step into center when the Warriors start this season.
Trayce Jackson-Davis played 127 minutes during the preseason, more than anyone except Jonathan Kuminga, and his evolution is undeniable. It’s something Kerr and his staff have noticed and concluded deserves a reward.
TJD’s third straight preseason start came Friday night at a 132-74 defeat of a Los Angeles Lakers team that wisely rested all its starters on the second night of a consecutive preseason.
The opposition didn’t matter. Jackson-Davis also started against the Lakers on Tuesday as Golden State triumphed despite Anthony Davis and LeBron James suiting up. Jackson-Davis joined four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and 2021 lottery pick Kuminga, as the only Warriors to start at least four preseason games.
This is the kind of exalted company that Jackson-Davis, Golden State’s second-round pick (57th overall) 16 months ago, keeps. The type of company you will keep while in office. Literally.
That was the message Kerr delivered to Jackson-Davis at the end of last season and in training camp this season. The notion of Jackson-Davis sprinting, with wings Andrew Wiggins and Kuminga, is considered essential to Golden State’s desired style.
“The biggest thing he told me was to play hard,” said Jackson-Davis, who finished with 12 points and five assists, but just one rebound, on Friday. “And in the preseason, another important thing was running. Running down the court, running for guys to open up shots just by pressing the rim.
“I feel like the last three games I’ve done a much better job of trying to run, get out and run to the rim.”
Jackson-Davis had a couple of dunks off fly balls, something the Warriors want to see as a matter of course.
The gravity created by a center running down the court is part of the basketball geometry that Kerr hopes to ingrain in his young center’s mind.
“We talk to him all the time,” Kerr said. “When he runs down the track, you can feel it. I say the same thing to JK and Wiggs. We need those guys to come out and run.
“Trayce, particularly the last three games, has been doing that.”
“When he runs down the track, you can feel it.”
Steve Kerr shares how Trayce Jackson-Davis has developed heading into his second NBA season pic.twitter.com/ntEDHeOtN7
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 19, 2024
There may be times when Kerr studies the matchups and decides to start with Kevon Looney or Green. But his reasons for leaning toward Jackson-Davis are many. And two assets that only he can offer (a lob threat on offense, rim protection on defense) are just the beginning.
Although small by league standards, the Warriors are mandated to take advantage of hits, misses and steals. Run when the ball enters. They want their opponents’ tongues to fall to the ground. No one in Golden State’s rotation is taller than Jackson-Davis (6-foot-9). He, like Kuminga and Wiggins, is made to gallop.
“I like that we played fast the last game,” Kerr said before kickoff, referring to a 111-97 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday. “And that’s what I’m looking for particularly from Wiggs, JK and Trayce. “When those guys run hard down the court both ways, we’re a different team.”
The two “greats” who can fulfill this wish are Jackson-Davis and Green. And Kerr has made it clear for years that Draymond at center is a more effective change-of-pace option in limited minutes. Looney excels at rebounding, but running just isn’t part of his game.
Then there’s this: Green and Jackson-Davis formed an imposing defensive front in limited minutes last season. Golden State’s best defensive metrics featured them together. Draymond is a long-time elite defender; TJD hopes to achieve that status.
“Last year, we had a strong relationship together on the court,” Jackson-Davis said. “That’s something that will continue to grow. It has already taught me a lot. “I can’t wait to learn a little more.”
That Curry and Green will start next Wednesday night against the Trail Blazers in Portland is a fact. Kuminga is expected to start. And Wiggins has put himself in position to claim to join Curry in the backcourt.
Jackson-Davis might be the least safe to start. But his 16-month journey makes it more likely he will leave the starting position.