While the Golden State Warriors suffered a 114-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, the play of Trayce Jackson-Davis presented a bright spot that can be salvaged from another tough game for the team.
Having come off a 129-99 loss against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Warriors entered with a full day of rest as opposed to the Heat who were on the second night of a back-to-back after losing in double overtime against the Kings on Monday.
Steve Kerr failed to acknowledge Trayce Jackson-Davis' performance in the Warriors 16-point loss
By all accounts, the Warriors should have been the higher-energy team, and yet they consistently failed to bypass the congestion of the Heat's 2-3 zone defense, settling for contested threes throughout the game.
While the Heat allowed the Warriors to have these shots as a consequence of their defensive strategy, the Warriors failed to make them, resulting in their inability to build offensive momentum throughout the game
Golden State shot a horrendous 14-of-50 from 3-point range, and aside from Stephen Curry, shot 29-of-76 on total field-goal attempts. While they were able to return somewhat to their early-season form defensively, they ultimately were not able to overcome a tough night from the field.
They sorely missed Jonathan Kuminga who was injured on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. His ability to patiently feel out defenders and drive to the rim with momentum would have been a major boon to the stagnant Warrior offense.
Nevertheless, Jackson-Davis stood out against 3x All-Star Bam Adebayo. The 24-year-old's quality performance against the Heat signifies a culmination of the recent progress he has made in establishing his presence in the paint, showcasing his ability to grab offensive rebounds and score in various ways against opposing big men.
Through a career-high 35 minutes on Tuesday, he posted a season-high 19 points along with seven rebounds, two steals and a block. He was one of the only Warriors to play with full intensity throughout the game, showcased by this fast break dunk during the first half as seen above.
Jackson-Davis' emergence could not have come at a better time. As he approaches the midway point of his second year in the league, the Warriors need to be able to truly evaluate his skill set, especially given their positional needs and flexibility at the trade deadline.
His recent move back into the starting lineup appears to be final as long as this iteration of the Golden State roster lasts, with Kuminga injured and seemingly slotted for a role off the bench upon his return.
While he has played well in recent games, what separated his performance against the Heat was his physicality. He has been, frankly, physically outmatched in his recent matchups against Joel Embiid and Zach Edey. Tonight however, against Adebayo and 7-footer Kel'el Ware, Jackson-Davis stood his ground, punishing the Heat at the rim.
Jackson-Davis fell one point short of his career-high, not that head coach Steve Kerr seemed to care after another disastrous Golden State loss. When asked about Jackson-Davis as a positive from Tuesday's game, Kerr dismissed the performance and preferred to focus on a team performance that "didn't have a competitive spirit."
"I can't sit here after that and be excited about anything", Kerr said. (Trayce) scored 19 points. Great... But who the hell cares if we're not competitive?"
Regardless of Kerr's post-game comments, and as the Warriors continue to look for glimpses of life beyond their veteran stars, Jackson-Davis' recent performance provides perhaps a glimmer of hope in a tumultuous season.
