Warriors' big man hoping to emulate 3x All-Star after impressive rookie season

After an impressive rookie year that culminated in a starting role towards the end of the season, Golden State Warriors' big man Trayce Jackson-Davis is looking to take the next steps during a crucial offseason.

In a season that ended in disappointment with just the franchise's third playoff absence in the last dozen years, Jackson-Davis was one of the few positives for the Warriors who unearthed a two-way center for the present and the future.

Golden State Warriors' center Trayce Jackson-Davis is looking to emulate Domantas Sabonis as his NBA career progresses

Jackson-Davis averaged 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.6 minutes per game, with his athleticism adding a new dimension to Golden State on both ends of the floor. His defense in particular was substantial, with the Warriors ranking sixth on that end over the last 11 games with Jackson-Davis as the starting center.

His offense is rather limited to finishing at the rim, whether it be off the pick-and-roll or in transition, though the 24-year-old has shown talent as a passer that goes back to his four-year collegiate career at Indiana.

In his end of season interview last week, Jackson-Davis outlined his desire to expand his offensive arsenal going forward, noting Kings' center Domantas Sabonis as a player he'd like to emulate.

"Yeah, when we actually talked, coach mentioned Sabonis' name, just the force that he plays with. He feels like with the dribble hand-offs and stuff of that nature, he might attempt one three a game, but that's not necessarily who he is as a player. "

- Trayce Jackson-Davis

Along with his passing and post-up action, Jackson-Davis would like to work on extending his range after a season in which he took just three shots from beyond 10 feet -- one of which was a three-point heave.

That starts with his free-throw shooting where Jackson-Davis shot only 56.7% on nearly two attempts per game -- he shot 67.6% in his four years at college, including 69.5% in his senior year. Adding even a mid-range jumpshot could prove crucial for Jackson-Davis if his frontcourt combination with Draymond Green is going to be effective next season.

The exploration of his offensive game could be seen in the coming months, with Jackson-Davis declaring he's 'definitely' going to play in Summer League despite playing over 1100 NBA minutes during his rookie season.