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What TJD told Podz after missed game-tying layup vs. Bulls originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Trayce Jackson-Davis is only in his first NBA season, but the Warriors rookie big man brings a seasoned veteran’s mindset when it comes to picking up a teammate.
During an interview on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs, Jackson-Davis revealed what he told Brandin Podziemski after his fellow rookie teammate missed a game-tying layup with six seconds remaining in the Warriors’ 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday at Chase Center.
“He does not lack any confidence, I really love that about him(Podziemski),” Jackson-Davis told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley on Friday. “Obviously, you wish he could have got that one last night, but we told him after the game, ‘There’s going to be many more like that, and just to be in that situation and get those reps at the end of the game, it just shows all the work you put in.
“‘You’re going to continue to shine and continue to bring that juice and confidence to our team, because we really need it.’ He brings a lot of energy, seeing how he’s succeeded, it gives you a lot of condifence you can do the same thing.”
Jackson-Davis then revealed that the perspective is not lost on him in regard to two rookies being in a closing lineup for a team with the pedigree of Golden State.
The 24-year-old big man revealed how he used that special moment in an attempt to uplift Podziemski, highlighting the fact there will be more opportunities in these crunch-time situations moving forward.
“I was basically just telling him you’re going to get that opportunity again,” Jackson-Davis shared. “You’re really young into your career, me and you both are. But it’s just surreal being out there at the end of the game, at Chase Center, two rookies on the floor, I thought it was a surreal moment.”
While Podziemski missed a critical shot late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Bulls, the rookie guard was a significant reason the Warriors were even within striking distance of a win in the first place.
Jackson-Davis chipped in eight points and four rebounds against Chicago, making all three of his field goal attempts in 18 minutes of action.
As Golden State gears up for a stretch run, Podziemski and Jackson-Davis likely will be relied on heavily with the Warriors clawing their way toward a spot in the NBA playoffs.
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