After long drop in draft, Trayce Jackson-Davis sticks the landing
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After long drop in draft, Trayce Jackson-Davis sticks the landing
The local legend out of IU and Center Grove high school should be very happy to start his NBA career in Golden State.
For Trayce Jackson-Davis, waiting through 56 picks in the NBA draft before hearing his name called at No. 57 had to be excruciating. Knowing he could take the vast majority of those prior picks one-on-one and do damage had to be frustrating.
But the nightmare of going to the edge of being undrafted (one pick to spare!) turned into a dream sequence for TJD when the Wizards selected him at No. 57 and then reports followed that Golden State traded for the pick which would send the local legend to the Bay Area in an absolute perfect situation for a mature big man who is ready to face other men in the NBA.
Quick Note: My apologies to email subscribers who only received my initial second round update last night (er, early this morning) which mentioned TJD going to the Wizards. I updated the online story a minute later to include the Golden State trade but the email damage was out the door. Haste makes waste when you’re trying to leave the Fieldhouse at 1 am.
OK, back to the good news about Jackson-Davis. He seemed to be upset when the Pacers passed on him at pick No. 47, but ultimately it was the whole situation that was weighing on the dynamic big man.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan was on Kevin and Query Friday morning and Jack directly asked about the Pacers consideration of taking TJD (you can listen to it here). Buchanan indicated that TJD and his reps did not want the Pacers to select him, which makes sense with the amount of big men the Pacers already have on the roster. It was also a reason the Pacers were looking at different players, as well.
Of course, the Pacers took plenty of heat from IU faithful for passing on their man which in hindsight is humorous. Definitely brought back a hint of the angst expressed with the team passed on Steve Alford to take Reggie Miller. A HINT, I said a hint.
But what a beautifully soft and comfortable landing spot for Jackson-Davis in Golden State. New GM and former Pacer, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. discussed the team’s initial intention to start TJD on the 15-man roster, via Anthony Slater. The team is thin in the front court, so the rook can start out as insurance as he’s developing and learning the NBA game. But his ability to pass the ball, dive to the hoop and defend the rim will fit in well with the Warriors.
Assuming they bring back Draymond Green, the situation will be even better. Not only would TJD not have the worst shot on the team but learning how to employ a similar skill set to Green would be a bonus. On the flipside, if Green doesn’t return, then the immediate opportunity window opens a littler wider.
Good things happen to good people and despite the painful wait to go through the draft process, Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Warriors is a good thing.
After long drop in draft, Trayce Jackson-Davis sticks the landing
An important detail in this story is that Mike Dunleavy’s brother is TJD’s agent. I did not realize that until watching Golden State’s press conference Friday.
Quite literally generations of IU fans have complained about the Pacers not drafting their mediocre NBA prospects. Jackson-Davis has several issues fitting into the NBA, but if there is a place where he could develop into a good role player, it’s the Warriors. I’m happy he landed there. TJD would not have played in Indy. They have enough developmental big men that are simply more talented than TJD.