The vast majority of NBA rookies aren't ready to impact winning. On the surface, Trayce Jackson-Davis' draft position alone all but forecloses the long-shot possibility he'd make his presence felt with the Golden State Warriors next season. As Steve Kerr suggests, though, Jackson-Davis isn't most No. 57 picks, and the Warriors' situation up front isn't most teams'.

The Dubs' coach discussed his team's selection of Jackson-Davis in the 2023 NBA Draft on THE PULL UP! Basketball Podcast, explaining to hosts BJ Mathews and Rick Masters why he projects as such a snug fit for Golden State.

“Talking to our scouts, the guys who do this all year long, they loved his ability to make plays out of the pocket in pick-and-roll. So you can picture him setting a screen for Steph, you can picture Trayce setting a screen, rolling to the rim, catching a lob and finishing,” Kerr said of Jackson-Davis. “But also if they blitz Steph for example, he can get into that short roll, catch and move the ball on like Draymond does so well. He's a dribble hand-off guy, so if he's trailing the play and you swing it to him he's gonna be great dribbling to the weak side, DHO with Klay for a jumper, diving to the rim. He's a traditional big, he's an excellent rebounder, plays with force, runs the floor hard. Our guys thought he had a chance to go in the first round, so to get him at 57 was really kind of a coup.”

It's easy to overlook the pivotal role environment plays in a young player's NBA trajectory.

Jackson-Davis' complete lack of shooting range and lagging positional size would leave him as a deep reserve for some teams in 2023-24, if not a part-timer in the G League. There's no guarantee the 23-year-old gets meaningful minutes for the Warriors as a rookie, either—just ask Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Given his age, playing experience and on-paper two-way utility in Golden State's offensive and defensive schemes, though, Kerr clearly sees a path for Jackson-Davis to see some playing time in his team's shallow frontcourt.

“You have to give these guys time and really get a look at them. The great thing for Trayce is that if you look at our roster, our bigs really are Draymond and Looney and Kuminga. We don't have a big team. We don't have a big group of big guys on our roster, so he immediately becomes a viable option at that position. I like the fact that he played I think 120 something games in college for Indiana. That experience as a 23-year-old will make him much more experienced right away than half the NBA…I think he's got a real opportunity with us. He's got a chance to be a good fit.”