Trayce Jackson-Davis Slims Down and Aims for Consistency in Third Warriors Season
INDIANAPOLIS – Before pumping iron in a building surrounded by the familiar flatlands of his native Indiana, Trayce Jackson-Davis declined to indulge in hometown cooking that might interfere with his meticulous pre-game rituals.
A svelte 248 pounds, the third-year Warriors center has slimmed down to that figure by religiously eating rice, greens, chicken, and other low-fat proteins while modifying his routine.
“The strength guys have done a really, really good job of helping me find conditioning routines, especially when I’m not playing, that aren’t going to kill me, but at the same time, still burn a lot of fat,” Jackson-Davis told the Bay Area News Group.
While making a stop in the city located 45 minutes north of the 4,000-seat Vandermeer gymnasium he once called home as a superstar at Center Grove High, Jackson-Davis is aiming to finally find a consistent role on the Warriors in his third pro season.
A High-Flying, Destructive Force
At his best, Jackson-Davis brings a destructive, high-flying element no other Warrior does. Standing 6-foot-9 and possessing rocket boosters for legs, the Indiana University alum has recorded over 100 dunks in each of his last two seasons.
But despite his prolific dunking statistics, the rest of Jackson-Davis’ game and playing time has been inconsistent. After being a spot starter as a Warriors rookie, he started 37 times as a sophomore before being dropped from the rotation in February.
This year, with 39-year-old Al Horford resting, Jackson-Davis came off the bench for two games in a row before not playing a single minute on Thursday in Milwaukee.
Now in his third season of unpredictable playing time, Davis knows how to handle whatever the rotation throws his way.
“My second year, I started a little bit, but I felt like the preparation from my rookie year just carried over, and it has again for this season,” Jackson-Davis said.
From Modest Beginnings to High School Stardom
Being an unheralded figure on the court is nothing new for Jackson-Davis. Despite being the son of beloved Pacer Dale Davis, he was far from a hoops prodigy.
Center Grove coach Zachary Hahn recalled first meeting him as a pudgy eighth grader.
“He was not good, like, legitimately, he was not a good player until probably the end of his sophomore year,” Hahn told the Bay Area News Group.
Under the fiery Hahn, who played for Brad Stevens on a Butler team that came within a Gordon Hayward bank shot of winning the 2010 NCAA title, Jackson-Davis—helped by a junior year growth spurt—blossomed into one of the top high school players in the country.
“Then he went from being 6-foot-3 to 6-8 as a junior, and the fast-twitch athleticism kicked in,” Hahn remembered.
He was named the 2018-19 Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year in Indiana, averaging 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. Jackson-Davis led Center Grove all the way to the state semifinals against a powerhouse Ben Davis squad.
It was a magical run for a program that is routinely competitive but is far from the powerhouse that Carmel or Ben Davis are.
The Indiana High School Tournament and Its Changing Landscape
Both player and former coach agreed that while there is nothing quite like the Indiana state high school tournament, a little bit of the magic was lost when the state’s governing body shifted away from a single division.
“Back in the day, the little schools would play the big dogs, and it would fill up (huge arenas) and there would be bragging rights on the line,” Jackson-Davis said. “They should bring back the one class tournament.”
Teams often went to extreme lengths to slow him down, a favorite tactic being old-fashioned stalling, thanks to the state not having a shot clock. But even with such measures, Jackson-Davis could have averaged closer to 30 points a game against overmatched frontcourts.
However, according to Hahn, putting up gaudy statistics was not Jackson-Davis’ style.
“I can think of times in high school where he should have scored 40, and he only would get 26 or so because he was passing the ball to the other guys,” Hahn said.
Transitioning to the Pro Ranks
Following an All-American career at the local IU, Jackson-Davis went from offensive focal point to strictly a rim-runner in the pro ranks—a role he still holds, albeit one only seen in intermittent minutes.
His uncertain playing time made it difficult for Jackson-Davis to figure out how to train properly. After all, he did not want to go full blast in practice or scrimmages if he would be asked to play extended minutes, a tactic that backfired in the second half of the year.
That added weight manifested itself in Jackson-Davis’ cratering percentages on layups, making only 40.8% on non-dunks in his second season, down from 58.9% his rookie season.
“When I was playing below the rim, I wasn’t as explosive, and that was crippling my game,” he said. “Especially playing with Steph, you get the ball in the short roll and you’re not going to be able to dunk it every time, but you still need to be able to power up and jump over guys.”
Summer Transformation and Looking Ahead
Over the summer, he and the coaching staff formulated a routine that would allow Davis to stay in shape while also staying fresh enough to play major minutes should situation or injury call for it.
Working out twice a day, eating at specific times, and consuming a strictly nutritious diet for three straight months helped him transform his body.
Aside from staying at his current playing weight, Jackson-Davis declined to list any other statistical goals for himself while playing on a team that has emerged as a contender.
“To me, a successful season is winning a championship and helping the team win,” Jackson-Davis said before taking on his hometown team.