With his rookie season in the pros now in the rearview mirror, Trayce Jackson-Davis says he felt like he had a bit of a cheat code for playing in the league after two years with long-time NBA coach Mike Woodson.
Jackson-Davis was asked in an interview this week with Steiny and Guru on 95.7 The Game whether Woodson did a better job getting him ready for the pros than another coach might have.
“Oh absolutely, some of the coverages that we had (at Indiana), and our schemes, the plays that we ran, are similar or the same as what Golden State runs,” Jackson-Davis said. “Already having those defensive coverages, knowing what the calls are, that translated right away. And then applying it on the floor, being in a new system, obviously they don’t run the same exact same system, but knowing the different tendencies that both of the coaches use was huge.”
Jackson-Davis gave Golden State more athleticism and size underneath this season, firmly establishing himself as the team’s starting center by the campaign’s end. He finished his first NBA season averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists across 68 games with the Warriors. He shot 70.2 percent from the field in his first year in the league.
The combination of his athleticism and knowledge of the game helped him be in the right spot more often than not. One way to measure that — Jackson-Davis was the first Warriors rookie in at least 25 years to tally 100+ dunks in season.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr could see Jackson-Davis’ readiness for the NBA last September as the team prepared for the 2023-24 campaign.
“You don’t see that kind of college experience very often anymore but you immediately recognize the experience level and the advantage that gives him,” Kerr said. “What I like about Trayce: He plays how we like to play. He’s a good passer; a dribble hand-off guy at the top of the key, a good screener.”
Kerr recognized Jackson-Davis’ ability to quickly grasp the Golden State concepts and implement them effectively.
“I think he’s the kind of guy who feels the game well. He’s got a good feel for passing, cutting movement, and a lot of the stuff that we already run, he runs really well.”
Jackson-Davis will be playing in the NBA Summer League in early July. He’ll go head-to-head with former IU star Kel’el Ware and Miami next Saturday, July 6, in San Francisco. He’ll then face his former IU teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino and the Lakers the next day, also in San Francisco.
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