Jackson-Davis dominated in his G League debut.
Toronto Raptors big man Trayce Jackson-Davis was sent down to the Raptors 905 on a G League assignment last week, and the move paid off in a big way.
Jackson-Davis spoke after his 905 debut about the conversation he had with head coach Darko Rajakovic that led to the assignment.
"Me and coach Darko talked last night when we were in Minnesota," Jackson-Davis said. "He said he wanted me to come down, get some conditioning, get some running, get used to playing again."
That is exactly what happened when Jackson-Davis suited up for the Raptors 905 on Friday night against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and it did not take long for him to make his presence felt.
He finished the game with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of action, looking like a man on a mission from the opening tip.
A Smart Move for Both Sides
The assignment was a no-brainer when you look at the situation from both angles.
Jackson-Davis has been stuck in a limited role since arriving in Toronto via trade from the Golden State Warriors on February 5, and his minutes with the Raptors have been hard to come by.
He has averaged just 3.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game since joining the team, with most of his playing time coming in the back end of games when the outcome had already been decided.
For a guy who showed real promise as a rookie with the Warriors, putting up 7.9 points on 70.2 percent shooting in his first NBA season, the lack of consistent run was starting to take a toll.
Getting sent to the G League gave him a chance to play real minutes, stay in rhythm, and build confidence heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
TJD Feasted Against the Vipers
Jackson-Davis did not waste his opportunity with the 905 and came out aggressive from the jump against Rio Grande Valley.
He was a force in the paint all night, scoring on putbacks, post-ups, and rolls to the rim while shooting efficiently from the field in a dominant 128-120 win.
He also added three assists and looked comfortable running the same offensive sets that the Raptors use at the NBA level, which made the transition smooth and easy.
905 head coach Drew Jones praised the way Jackson-Davis fit in right away and said nothing about his performance felt forced because everything came within the flow of the offense.
Jackson-Davis echoed that after the game, noting that a lot of what the 905 runs is the same stuff they run with the Raptors, so it felt natural for him to step in and contribute from the start.
What It Means Going Forward
Jackson-Davis was recalled to the NBA roster on Saturday, just one day after his G League outing, so the assignment was always meant to be a quick conditioning stint rather than a long-term move.
The Raptors currently sit at 35-27 on the season and hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, so they are very much in the mix for a playoff spot with 20 games left to play.
Having Jackson-Davis ready to go and feeling good about his game could be a nice boost for a team that has dealt with frontcourt depth issues all year long, especially with starting center Jakob Poeltl missing time due to a back injury.
If Jackson-Davis can bring even a fraction of the energy he showed with the 905 back up to the NBA level, the Raptors will have themselves a solid option off the bench for the stretch run.