TJD’s undeniable Warriors evolution deserving of reward

TJD’s undeniable Warriors evolution deserving of reward originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Though coach Steve Kerr is not ready to announce his opening night starting lineup, it’s becoming apparent that a man juggling DNPs and G League assignments early last season will be jumping center when the Warriors tipoff this season.

Trayce Jackson-Davis played 127 minutes during the preseason, more than anyone except Jonathan Kuminga, and his evolution is undeniable. It’s something Kerr and his staff have noted and concluded is deserving of a reward.

TJD’s third consecutive preseason start came Friday night in a 132-74 rout of a Los Angeles Lakers team that wisely rested all its starters on the second night of a preseason back-to-back.

The opposition didn’t matter. Jackson-Davis also started against the Lakers on Tuesday when Golden State triumphed despite both Anthony Davis and LeBron James suiting up. Jackson-Davis joined four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and 2021 lottery pick Kuminga as the only Warriors to start at least four preseason games.

This is the kind of exalted company Jackson-Davis, Golden State’s second-round draft pick (57th overall) 16 months ago, is keeping. The kind of company he’ll keep for as long as he is running. Literally.

That was the message Kerr delivered to Jackson-Davis at the end of last season and into training camp this season. The notion of Jackson-Davis sprinting, with wings Andrew Wiggins and Kuminga, is considered essential to Golden State’s desired style.

“The biggest thing he said to me was to play with force,” said Jackson-Davis, who finished with 12 points and five assists — but only one rebound — on Friday. “And in preseason, another thing that was huge was running. Running the floor, sprinting getting guys open shots just by putting pressure on the rim.

“I feel like the last three games, I’ve done a lot better job trying to sprint and out and rim run.”

Jackson-Davis ran himself into a couple dunks off lob passes, something the Warriors want to see as a matter of routine.

The gravity created by a center who runs the floor is part of the basketball geometry Kerr is hoping to ingrain in the mind of his young center.

“We talk to him all the time,” Kerr said. “When he sprints the floor, you can feel it. I say the same thing to JK and Wiggs. We need those guys to get out and sprint.

“Trayce, the last three games in particular, has been doing that.”

There might be occasions when Kerr studies matchups and decides to open with Kevon Looney or Green. But his reasons for leaning into Jackson-Davis are many. And two assets only he can offer — a lob threat on offense, rim protection on defense — are only the beginning.

Smallish by league standards, the Warriors have a mandate to run on makes and misses and steals. Run when inbounding the ball. They want their opponents’ tongues on the floor. No one in Golden State’s rotation is taller than Jackson-Davis (6-foot-9). He, like Kuminga and Wiggins, is built for galloping.

“I like that we played fast last game,” Kerr said before tipoff, referring to a 111-97 win over LA on Tuesday. “And that’s what I’m looking for particularly from Wiggs, JK and Trayce. When those guys run the floor hard both ways, we’re a different team.”

The two “bigs” that can fulfill this desire are Jackson-Davis and Green. And Kerr has made it clear for years that Draymond at center is a change-of-pace option most effective in limited minutes. Looney excels at rebounding, but outright sprinting simply is not part of his game.

Then there is this: Green and Jackson-Davis formed an imposing defensive front in limited minutes last season. Golden State’s best defensive metrics featured them together. Draymond is a longtime elite defender; TJD hopes to achieve that status.

“Last year, we had a solid rapport on the floor together,” Jackson-Davis said. “That’s just something that’s going to continue to grow. He’s taught me a lot already. Can’t wait to learn some more.”

That Curry and Green will start next Wednesday night against the Trail Blazers in Portland is a given. That Kuminga will start is fully expected. And Wiggins has moved into position to stake a claim to join Curry in the backcourt.

Jackson-Davis might be the least certain to start. But his 16-month journey makes him most likely to walk out for the opening tip.

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