The Golden State Warriors will go into the 2022-2023 season with high expectations and a lot of question marks along their wing and front-court positions. The Warriors' 2023 NBA Draft netted them an unsung college basketball hero in Trayce Jackson-Davis, a versatile, stat sheet-stuffing forward with a smooth game who played for the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington.
Recently Head Coach Steve Kerr went into detail about how Golden State's Moses Moody, another rising young player, can earn more playing time in 2023-2024. Kerr also commented on how this season's Warriors are ‘a high-IQ team' which should bode well in their quest to succeed on the same level as the Warriors' championship teams of the past decade.
As far as breakout campaigns go, few Golden State Warriors have a greater chance of having one than Jackson-Davis.
Trayce Jackson-Davis: Indiana University's Big Man on Campus
Trayce Jackson-Davis is one of those players who plays a lot bigger than he looks on the court, and is actually much bigger than few people realize. Listed at 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, Jackson-Davis has a minuscule body fat percentage and a limitless motor.
He is one of those guys who never stops moving and whose basketball IQ allows him to rack up points, rebounds and assists that other players miss out on.
Jackson-Davis has averaged 2.0 steals during the preseason for Kerr's Golden State Warriors. In college, the smooth forward with the old-school fade haircut averaged 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds, and he did it in one of the better conferences in college basketball, the Big Ten.
Off-the-Charts Efficiency for Kerr's Offense
Last season Jackson-Davis shot a scintillating 58.1% from the field, which will make him a dangerous player on a team that is loaded with three-point shooters including Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
Jackson-Davis can set picks and roll to the basket at an elite level. His high basketball IQ, patience and smooth, fluid movement allow him to sneak behind the defense at ease for backdoor cuts and putbacks.
Oddly enough, the former Indiana University star did not make a single three-pointer over the course of his career, a true rarity in today's game. On any other team this would be considered a glaring weakness.
On Kerr's Warriors, it shouldn't matter much. Jackson-David has the work ethic and skills to become a plus-three point shooter should Kerr and his staff call for him to become one.
In the meantime, Warriors fans should greatly enjoy watching him pick opposing defenses apart while racking up steals and blocks on the other end of the court.
Jackson-Davis: Son of an NBA Star (and a Coach's Dream)
Despite Jackson-Davis's incredible college career, few basketball fans seem to realize he is the son of longtime NBA enforcer, all-around tough guy and former NBA All-Star Dale Davis, formerly of the Indiana Pacers.
Jackson-Davis was taken with the 57th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. He will have the opportunity to work with another high IQ and versatile forward in Draymond Green, a fellow Big Ten legend from his time with the Michigan State Spartans.
Jackson-Davis finished third in career points in Indiana history and averaged 2.1 blocks over the course of his career. Those would be impressive numbers at any college let alone one of the all-time historic college basketball powers. Thus far he has shown evidence of continuing his defensive prowess at the next level.
The doubters might say Jackson-Davis's lack of three-point shooting, youth and the gluttony of talent on the wing positions will keep him relegated to the bench this season.
For fans and analysts who've seen Jackson-Davis in action at IU, the idea of a player this talented, productive and intelligent riding the pine is simply too far-fetched to believe. Expect to see Jackson-Davis on the court and contributing by the end of October at the latest for Steve Kerr and the Warriors, in line for a breakout 2023-2024 campaign before it's all said and done.
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