Grading the 3 Sacramento Kings selections in B/R post-combine mock draft
By Logan Struck
38th Pick: Trayce Jackson-Davis – PF/C, Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a premier college talent all four years of his college career. The 6’9″ 23-year-old is a great talent but falls in this draft due to his age. The versatile big man is lethal on both ends of the court but expanded his offensive game later in his career. He started every game since day one as a freshman but had his most impressive year as a senior.
This season, Jackson-Davis was a finalist for National Player of the Year, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals. Those stats alone show how he can do it all.
Jackson-Davis is a skilled big man who can play each aspect of the game at a high level besides shooting. While he would need to improve his shooting to be a force in the NBA, his dominance in college could translate, as he could become a rotational piece for the Kings. Jackson-Davis would be most effective as a backup big man on this Kings roster, but he would not be effective within the Kings’ scheme without developing a jump shot.
Shooting a mere 0-3 from three during his college career, it is hard to tell if Jackson-Davis has even worked on his long-range shot. While the Indiana offense was centered around Jackson-Davis going to work in the paint, I would have liked to see him have more of an opportunity to grow on the perimeter, as that limited offensive scheme slowed down his NBA development.
This is an O.K. selection with the 38th overall pick, but I would like to see the Kings focus on the need for a wing here rather than big man depth.