Golden State Warriors rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis was a revelation in their 130-102 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on October 30.
In his second appearance as a pro, Jackson-Davis, 23, had a monster game off the bench with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in 20 minutes — all career highs. The credit, he said, goes to Chris Paul, their bench leader.
“I was trying to let the game come to me,” Jackson-Davis told reporters after the Warriors’ third straight win. “And that’s what I did. CP3 [Paul] got me on that first roll and then just building confidence and when he’s passing you the ball, that instills a lot of confidence in you to make plays. As the game went on, [I was] just trying to see the flow, attacking when you’re supposed to attack and pass it up to shooters when you’re supposed to do that.”
With the Warriors trailing 25-23, Jackson-Davis set up a screen for Paul. The 38-year-old veteran guard, a master of pick and roll, used the screen then found the rookie on the short roll for his first NBA bucket.
His confidence grew from there.
The rookie’s next four field goals were all on putbacks and tip-ins after his miss, a sign of his relentlessness on the boards that bodes well for an undersized team lacking depth at the center position.
Jackson-Davis found out that morning that he would be part of the second unit after Jonathan Kuminga (left knee contusion) and Klay Thompson (right knee soreness) had to sit out the final game of their road trip.
“You just always got to stay ready,” said Jackson-Davis, who got tipped by Moses Moody, starting in place of Thompson, that Warriors coach Steve Kerr randomly calls them to play.
The Chris Paul Effect
The Warriors’ bench performance, which included 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists by Paul — outscored the Pelicans’ second unit 52-33.
Since Paul became the Warriors’ Sixth Man, their bench had been plus-40 through two games.
“Chris is like a pilot,” Jackson-Davis said. “He’ll be calling for the play, calling for the ball screen when he is still at half-court. He makes the game really easy, just being able to dive and make plays off him. It’s great. Playing with Steph [Curry], having to go to the ball, being open for the short roll, and being able to make plays out of that, it makes your life a lot easier.”
The Warriors’ new-found depth had propelled them to a 3-1 start.
Stephen Curry Revels in Pelicans Fans Getting Starstruck
Curry logged his second 40-point effort in less than a week.
He was white-hot on October 30, shooting the lights out for a season-high 42 points against the Pelicans to the delight of the 17,286 fans at Smoothie King Center.
“When the game kind of turns up like that and the home crowd enjoys the entertainment value and good basketball and the show, I feed off of it because I love playing basketball and being in that environment,” Curry said via NBA.com. “But it’s not like any type of message. Just hooping.”
The NBA’s greatest shooter drew a roar from the crowd after sinking the dagger 3, his seventh of the night, with 4:39 left that gave the Warriors a commanding 120-92 lead.
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Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis Credits Warriors Vet for Breakout Game