Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis are developing an exciting partnership in the Golden State Warriors front court. The veteran forward, in his 12th year in the NBA, and the rookie big man have been impressive since sharing the floor as part of the starting unit. Against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, the duo shined.
Jackson-Davis ended the night with 20 points, four assists, five rebounds, one steal and a block. Green anchored the wing defense, led the Warriors in rebounding and was among their most effective playmakers. Steve Kerr praised the duo’s performance when speaking to the media following the game.
“The key to the game was our defense,” Kerr said. “Trayce and Draymond together have changed our team. It’s pretty dramatic. The rim protection, the rebounding that Trayce gives us, what that allows Draymond to do, that has been really fun to watch them together. Trayce, for a rookie, it’s amazing what he’s doing.”
The Warriors have been fortunate this season. Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have impressed throughout their first NBA campaigns, while Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have made significant strides in their development.
"Trayce and Draymond together have changed our team."
Kerr lauded the Warriors' dynamic pairing after tonight's blowout win pic.twitter.com/3RqsPrVO2z
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2024
The Warriors have all but secured their spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament courtesy of their win over Houston. Now, Kerr must decide whether to stick with the current pairing of Green and Jackson-Davis or whether Jonathan Kuminga’s athleticism and rim pressure will be more important.
As such, Kerr has some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, those are good problems to have and prove that Golden State’s decision to straddle two timelines is starting to pay dividends.
