Warriors Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis Poses Threat to ROTY Contenders Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren

Trayce Jackson-Davis is making opportune headlines. Earlier this week, the ex-Indiana Hoosier made the most of his splendid 29 minutes on-court. He scored 10 points, along with 13 rebounds for his debut double-double in the league. His performance helped the GSW franchise win overtime over Boston, 132-126.

Even in today’s game against the Wizards, he finished his impressive performance with another double-double, 10 pts, and 15 rebounds. He also added 3 assists and another block to his resume. With his help, the Warriors roasted the Wizards, 129-118.

His time on-court has seen a rise of late, especially since Draymond Green’s suspension. But, what’s surprising is, people don’t feel Green’s absence; Jackson-Davis isn’t disappointing fans that way.

Not just the double-doubles, Jackson-Davis also blocked 3 shots and beautifully handled an assist. He is supremely efficient with a basketball in his hand, almost like an extended arm, helping him make 5 out of 7 shots right from the floor, ending the gameplay with a turnover.

No wonder people are now chanting his name for the Rookie of the Year award, and ignoring the wonder-debut stars, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

There are a few reasons why this conversation is even happening. One of the major blocks by him came at a very pivotal stage. GSW was leading (125-121) with not more than 3 minutes remaining to play and Jackson-Davis came in right from the opposite direction and denied Jaylen Brown his dunk. A beautifully, empowering block crafted his name in the franchise history as a rookie. All of this is not easy for a rookie to do. And if he continues to play at such a magnificent pace, he’s going to see more minutes on-court.

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Steve Kerr is all praise for him. He said, “He was tremendous. I mean, he was the player of the game. There were several huge plays, including Trayce’s block on Jaylen. But Trayce was the guy who shifted everything. Plus 25 in his minutes. Second great game in a row.” Of course, Coach Kerr will look to reward him with more playing time in the coming weeks, marking a significant progression in his rookie year.

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has 462 points to his name, while Chet Holmgren has 446. As both inch closer towards the ROTY, Jackson-Davis is coming in as a whisk of surprise for everyone in just a span of 18 regular games with 77 points so far.

Kerr’s silver lining

Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped up after Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension. The ROTY contender did not exactly get a lot of playing time this entire season so far, but this is now expected to change since Green isn’t here. For Kerr, Trayce is a silver lining.

Even on Tuesday, against the Celtics, Kerr wanted a confidence boost from the bench as they were on the losing since. Jackson-Davis contributed to this with his striking energy getting all rebounds and defenses as he could. After all, he made a name for himself for these same reasons at Indiana University. The rookie stepped up, with all his determination, and now is looking forward to more regular spots in Kerr’s army.

Even without Draymond Green, GSW can breathe a sigh of relief with Trayce, Kevon Looney, and others stepping up. When they are called, they are delivering big time. So, even when the Warriors miss their defensive Draymond Green, they now have someone stepping up, and making an impact against other teams.

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