Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis is shedding his “Baby T” nickname once and for all.
After nearly securing the first double-double of his young NBA career in late October — which would have been the case had one of his rebounds that night not been called back after the game — Jackson-Davis officially accomplished the feat in Golden State’s 132-126 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
The 23-year-old played a career-high 29 minutes in the overtime victory, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 13 rebounds and one assist — plus one monster block on Celtics star Jaylen Brown that shifted the game’s momentum. The performance finally was enough to earn him a new moniker — something promised to the rookie once he recorded his first double-double, and an announcement Warriors veteran Klay Thompson wasted no time in making.
“Klay announced it right when we got in the locker room,” Jackson-Davis told reporters after the game. “I think I’m Trayce Jr. now.”
Jackson-Davis’ size and athleticism give the Warriors an element they’ve been missing, and the rookie’s performances in recent games have forced coach Steve Kerr to throw more minutes his way. He certainly doesn’t look like a baby out there, but Thompson explained why Jackson-Davis still has to be a “junior.”
“[Jackson-Davis is] a vertical spacer, a shot-blocking presence and a big, strong, physical big man who is incredibly athletic. Trayce Jr., very athletic,” Thompson told reporters, confirming the rookie’s new nickname. “That is his new nickname, correct, because I only know one Trayce in my life, and that’s Trayce Thompson. MLB player, father to Roman.”
While it appears Thompson’s brother has dibs on the name for now, Jackson-Davis might be able to shed his newfound suffix if he continues to play like he has been. His teammate, Chris Paul, has seen the rookie develop right before his eyes, and recognizes the different dimension Golden State has with Jackson-Davis on the floor.
“Trayce is just such a good — I don’t want to say kid, but I mean — he’s such a good player, right, and he’s a rookie,” Paul told reporters after the win. “I’ve been pretty easy on him all season long, and I finally sort of went nuts on him a little bit in Portland. And he just started killing. He’s been hooping, and I’m not saying that’s why, but I think he has the capability to do what you guys are seeing.
“He just gives us a different dimension because he plays above the rim, his shot-blocking ability, and I think what he’s seeing now is that he does a lot of things that don’t show up on the box scores. He changes shots, and his athleticism is something that we need.”
Baby T had the capabilities. Now, Trayce Jr. is putting it all together on the court — much to the Warriors’ benefit.
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