The Warriors found a gem in Trayce Jackson-Davis

Trayce Jackson-Davis is a force now, and is only going to get better.

HOUSTON — In the Warriors’ biggest game to date, in the Toyota Center with a chance to essentially seal a play-in spot, with “Warriors come out to play” chattering in the lead-up, Trayce Jackson-Davis delivered a career-high 20 points.

None of it was unexpected. He converted a variety of dunks and buttery finishes around the rim — off slips, rolls and alley-oop lobs — while also blocking a shot and recording a steal. Since Jackson-Davis joined the rotation, he’s contributed on both ends.

But his production is still a revelation. Any team could’ve had Jackson-Davis, whom Golden State selected with the 57th overall pick. Now, paired with Draymond Green in the Warriors’ starting lineup that has gelled during their season-high six game win streak, the 24-year-old rookie is making a serious All-Rookie push.

“Trayce and Draymond together, that changed our team,” Steve Kerr said after the Warriors’ win in Houston. “It’s pretty dramatic, just the rim protection, the rebounding that Trayce gives us, and what that allows Draymond to do. It’s been really fun to watch them together. Trayce, for a rookie, it’s amazing what he’s doing.”

For right now and in the future, Jackson-Davis is a major piece for a Warriors franchise trying to extend its dynasty. Like many draft steal stories, Jackson-Davis’ journey to Golden State took a healthy dash of serendipity. But he’s now with a team that perfectly complements his skill-set — and vice versa — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Being able to screen for these shooters, play above the rim, having Draymond teach you, having (Kevon Looney) teach you, it’s great,” Jackson-Davis told this news organization. “CP3, one of the best point guards ever. It’s awesome.”

In 2022, after Jackson-Davis’ junior year at Indiana, he declared for the NBA Draft. In the pre-draft process, he went to Los Angeles for NBA-level training sessions. He could’ve boosted his draft stock with a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine, but a bout of COVID-19 hit him right before the event, knocking him out of activities for 10 days.

Had Jackson-Davis not contracted the virus, or tested negative before the combine, it’s quite possible he’d be on a team other than the Warriors right now. That year, Golden State selected two players: Patrick Baldwin Jr at 28 and Gui Santos at 55. The Warriors still believed in James Wiseman, so they weren’t targeting young centers. And Bob Myers’ front office had a preference for higher-upside, younger players like Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. A 6-foot-9, 22-year-old center like Jackson-Davis probably wouldn’t have fit the mold.

But Jackson-Davis decided to return to Indiana to play for Mike Woodson. Playing a second year in Woodson’s pro-style system, Jackson-Davis became a consensus All-American. He registered 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.9 blocks per game — season averages matched only by Tim Duncan in NCAA history.

The experience prepared the already polished Jackson-Davis even more for the league. Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s front office used the 57th pick — the second-to-last selection of the draft — they acquired in the Jordan Poole trade on Jackson-Davis.

Jackson-Davis has been a fast learner, even in Golden State’s complicated read-and-react system. In his first game with real playing time, on Oct. 30, he recorded 13 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while being a +11 in the box score. Against Houston on Thursday, he shot 8-for-10 — plus hitting all four of his free throws — while swiping a steal and swatting Jalen Green.

It took some time for Kerr to trust Jackson-Davis to handle Looney’s minutes, but by December, the rookie had given his head coach plenty of reasons to trust him. There’s a significant difference between the speed of the NBA game compared to college, but Jackson-Davis’ four-year Indiana career made his jump to the league less daunting.

What Jackson-Davis can one day become is tantalizing. While he’s a steady player who can make a quiet impact in the margins, he also flashes star potential.

His second-jump ability, defensive strategy against Giannis Antetokounmpo and poster over Victor Wembanyama were Blake Griffin-esque (but slow down on any Griffin comparisons, just ask Chris Paul). His passing in the short roll has at times been reminiscent of Domantas Sabonis — a player he tries to model his game after. His presence in the paint and ability to guard two in close proximity makes it clear he’s been studying Green.

“Dray, defensively, is just insane,” Jackson-Davis said in March. “If I can get just a little bit of what he has, I feel like I’m going to be a great player.”

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The next steps for Jackson-Davis include developing a more reliable jump shot — first from midrange, and then potentially from the corners — and improving at guarding faster players on switches.

What he is now is a game-changing force on both ends. In his last 10 games, Jackson-Davis is averaging 11.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 combined blocks and steals per game. His presence in the lineup has directly correlated with the Warriors’ 22-10 record since January 31.

The two-man combination of Green and Jackson-Davis has a 96.2 defensive rating — the 10th best of any duo who has played at least 150 minutes together.

Playing Jackson-Davis with Green allows the latter to take more chances in double-teaming and rotating. It lets Green use his generational basketball I.Q. to turn an opposing offense into a pretzel.

“Just reading the game on the fly,” Green said. “It’s hard to do those things at the five, because you’re anchoring everybody.”

This Warriors season is about getting the younger crop of players to improve enough so that they can take the load off Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as they age. Jackson-Davis has embodied that.

“He’s an NBA-ready player,” Klay Thompson said. “The value we get from him, at the (57th) pick is very special. Give our front office credit for that. Give Trayce credit for just his readiness as a professional. It’s very impressive. He’s had such an incredible year, I’d assume he’d be on one of these All-Rookie teams — he’s playing that well.”

The NBA’s All-Rookie format calls for two five-man, positionless teams (with no 65-game minimum). Players like Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Brandon Miller are locks. Cason Wallace, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Keyonte George and Dereck Lively II have strong resumes. Even Jackson-Davis’ teammate, Brandin Podziemski, ranks above Jackson-Davis in some key advanced metrics.

But there will be room for Jackson-Davis to make a case. Since he only started getting rotation minutes in the second half of the year, his per-game stats don’t tell the full story. Among rookies who have played at least 50 games, Jackson-Davis’ 17.4 points per 36 minutes ranks fifth (behind Wembanyama, Miller, Holmgren and Duop Reath). He’s second only to Wembanyama in rebounds per 36. And he only trails Wembanyama and Holmgren in blocks per 36.

The last time a Warrior earned an All-Rookie team honor was in 2019-20 with Eric Paschall, who flamed out. Before that, you have to go all the way back to Harrison Barnes in 2012-13. In that context, Jackson-Davis is having one of the most productive Warriors rookie seasons in a decade.

Regardless of if Jackson-Davis gets the external validation of an All-Rookie selection, he’s on pace to be one of the best value picks the Warriors have gotten in the Steph Curry era.

None of it is on his radar, anyway.

“At the end of the day, I just go out there and play as hard as I can, let that do the talking,” Jackson-Davis said.

He’s been an NBA-ready player since he stepped into the league, even from the podium.