Warriors select Trayce Jackson-Davis with No. 57 pick

With the No. 57 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected big man Trayce Jackson-Davis out of Indiana.

The pick originally belonged to the Washington Wizards, but was sent to the Warriors in exchange for Pat Baldwin Jr. as part of the Chris Paul trade, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Jackson-Davis is coming off four impressive seasons with the Hoosiers, acting as a consistent force inside. His 246 career blocks top the program's official all-time leaderboard, while his 1,056 total rebounds rank third. Jackson-Davis' 2,055 points are also the sixth most by an Indiana player ever, putting him right behind his head coach the last two seasons, Mike Woodson.

The 23-year-old is one of the most touted college seniors in this year's draft. A frenetically athletic post-dominant big man, Jackson-Davis' game is admittedly best brought out underneath and around the basket. Despite those limitations, he excelled in college, picking up consensus first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors as a senior and was twice selected to the conference's All-Defensive team. Jackson-Davis also has NBA heritage: his father, Dale Davis, played 16 NBA seasons and was a longtime frontcourt starter for the Indiana Pacers in the early '90s.

Bio

Position: Forward
School: Indiana
College experience: Senior
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 240 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot-1
Max vertical: 36.5 inches

2022-23 stats with Indiana

Strengths

• Runs the floor really well for a big man; finds himself open in transition for easy dunks but can also bring it up himself.
• One of the more athletic bigs in the draft; hard to keep grounded once he catches it inside and flaunts that athleticism defensively as a shot-blocker
• Very solid passer for his size; ranked second on Indiana in assists per game.

Weaknesses

• Needs to stretch out as a shooter; nearly all of his offense is restricted to the paint.
• Caught in between positions due to his size; small for an NBA center but doesn't have the shot-making capabilities to play at the four.
• Very left-hand dominant finisher; struggles when forced onto his right.

NBA comparable: Mason Plumlee. Truthfully, there isn't a perfect one-for-one comparison for Jackson-Davis due to his unique mixture of impressive athleticism and passing ability but lack of shooting touch. However, Plumlee, while a couple of inches taller, is along the same train of thought. Neither is going to be asked to be a primary playmaker, but both are pretty skilled passers for big men who work as escape valves - able to make the right dish when the pressure is turned up. Jackson-Davis is more athletic, while Plumlee is arguably a more efficient rebounder. However, both offensive games are almost entirely within 6 feet of the basket.