Jackson-Davis' emergence led to moment of enlightenment for Kerr
Jackson-Davis' emergence led to moment of enlightenment for Kerr originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Several weeks into the season, as the Warriors stumbled into more losses than wins, coach Steve Kerr would gather his staff to discuss lineups and rotations. All they knew was their formula was taking a beating.
And that formula often excluded the young players, despite their positive showings in training camp and occasional practice sessions.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, one of two promising rookies, mostly watched from the bench as losses kept coming. Third-year power forward Jonathan Kuminga shuttled in and out of the rotation, as did third-year wing Moses Moody.
After dropping eight of nine games in the heart of November, including a three-point home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that punctured Golden State’s In-Season Tournament hopes, clarity slowly began to form. Kerr announced after the game that Brandin Podziemski, the team’s other rookie, had performed consistently enough to secure a place in the rotation.
He was the first of the new wave.
Not until last week, after an eight-point loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles, did Kerr decide to summon the youngsters. All of them. This was their opportunity, including Jackson-Davis, who came from the far end of the bench.
Why then?
“Being 10 and 14,” Kerr said after practice Thursday.
It’s as simple as that 10-14 record. Desperate times can lead to desperate measures – or a moment of enlightenment. After winning six of their first eight games, the Warriors lost 12 of their next 16. The early-season collapse forced an overdue reckoning.
Perhaps no one has benefited more from Kerr’s evolution than Jackson-Davis, who remained out of the rotation throughout his first seven weeks in the NBA. Coaches and players alike recognized his gifts – above-average athleticism and aptitude in a 6-foot-9, 245-pound physique with a 7-foot-1 wingspan – and knew he could help the team out of its slumber.
When veteran big man Dario Sarić got in early foul trouble Sunday in Portland, Jackson-Davis came off the bench and produced 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 18 minutes in a 118-114 victory. It was the first time TJD’s minutes topped those of usual starters Kevon Looney or Sarić.
Facing the elite Celtics in his next game, Jackson-Davis was even better. He posted his first NBA double-double, with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while also adding three blocks, one a spectacular rejection of a dunk attempt by hard-driving Boston star Jaylen Brown.
Looney played 14 minutes in that game, Sarić 15. Jackson-Davis played 29. The Celtics and the NBA saw the Warriors were keeping under wraps for almost two months.
“We saw it in preseason,” Kerr said. “We’ve seen it when we put him out there. The ability to finish, to block shots. He plays above the rim, and that’s different from our other guys. Loon, Dario and Draymond (Green) are all really good players in their own right. But they’re different.
“What Trayce is giving us is a different look. And it changes the way the defense has to react. When he’s diving, the help side has to pull in and that opens up a lot for us offensively.”
The Warriors look like a much different bunch than only a week ago, mostly due to the emergence of their most athletic youngsters. Kuminga, who replaced the suspended Green in the starting lineup, is scoring efficiently on explosive drives to the rim and playing spirited defense. Jackson-Davis is setting and flipping screens as smoothly as the veterans while increasing overall activity in the paint on offense and defense.
The athleticism so rarely glimpsed through the first quarter of the season is now on full display.
Kerr, who leaned almost entirely on Looney and Sarić to fill the center position, offered his reasons for the delayed unveiling of Jackson-Davis.
“Sometimes, if you play three guys, you diminish each guy’s rhythm and none of them end up play well,” he said. “That was definitely a concern. We played three guys (in the loss to the Clippers). We started Trayce at the top of the second quarter and Dario only played five minutes and never got into a rhythm. After the game, we felt like we were doing a disservice to Dario. So, we didn’t play Trayce in the second half of that game – but we missed him.”
There is, according to Kerr, “a little bit of a dance going on” with the rotation that surely includes the big men. All three, with different skills, have something to offer.
Because Kerr has upgraded Jackson-Davis from watching from the bench to being part of the “dance,” the Warriors are better equipped to compete more consistently than only a few days ago.
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