Trayce Jackson-Davis has established himself as the starting center for the Golden State Warriors. His front-court partnership with Draymond Green has rapidly become a key aspect of Steve Kerr’s rotation. As such, Jackson-Davis is expected to be Golden State’s starting big man when they face the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament on Tuesday.
According to Draymond Green, who spoke with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Davis will face the task of guarding Domantas Sabonis. The veteran big man has revolutionized the Kings offense since being acquired from the Indiana Pacers in 2022.
“Sabonis does all his (scoring) damage pretty much within 10-15 feet,” Green said. “A lot of it is around the rim and Trayce can affect some of those shots. But it starts with positioning and Sabonis is great at creating angles. You got to make sure you’re good with your positioning against a guy like that. He has all the step-throughs and jump-hooks, double step-throughs that you can imagine. His footwork is great. It will be a tough challenge.”
Jackson-Davis has faced Sabonis on multiple occasions this season. However, this will be his first taste of the pressure that comes with a win-or-go-home game in the NBA. Fortunately for the rookie big man, he has incredibly experienced teammates to lean on.
Here’s a full Warriors-Kings preview: Key questions, rotation options, X-factors.
Includes quotes from out at Kings practice today https://t.co/AfyYPRZbz7
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 15, 2024
Last season, the Warriors eliminated the Kings in the opening round of the playoffs. This season, their series finished 2-2. Kerr’s team will need to dig deep if they’re going to progress onto the second game of the play-in. With Jackson-Davis anchoring the middle of the floor, their defense will likely remain steady throughout the night.
