The Golden State Warriors suffered a horror 30-point loss to the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on Sunday, undoing much of their good work from back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies.
Starting center Trayce Jackson-Davis was no answer for opposing big man Domantas Sabonis in the opening minutes, with the Kings All-Star going for eight points, eight rebounds and four assists in the first-quarter.
But it's not Jackson-Davis' defense that's becoming a big problem for the Warriors. The second-year center has actually been a major positive since returning to the starting lineup last month, but there's one specific element that's holding both he and the team back from greater heights.
Trayce Jackson-Davis' finishing ability is becoming a real problem for the Warriors
Prior to Sunday's loss to the Kings, Jackson-Davis had averaged 12.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in eight games since taking back his starting spot on December 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 24-year-old's scoring should be even better though, with Jackson-Davis consistently missing gilt-edged opportunities at the rim in what is a growing frustration for fans. If the 6'9" big man isn't going to stretch the floor anywhere beyond the paint, then he needs to be an effective finisher for a Golden State team who are already having their fair share of offensive issues.
After shooting 70.2% from the floor during his rookie year, Jackson-Davis is now down to 57.5% through nearly half of his sophomore season. On the surface that doesn't seem too bad, yet it's specifically his layup attempts that are increasingly disastrous.
Jackson-Davis is 46-of-118 (39%) on layups this season -- for someone who takes over 69% of his field-goal attempts from inside the restricted area, that's simply inexcusable. It's also somewhat bizarre given he shot 58.9% on layups last season.
Is there a quick fix? Perhaps some of it comes to down to confidence which could certainly rise in a short period, but otherwise it's also a skill factor and the fact Jackson-Davis is so left-hand dominant. He may have got away with it during his rookie year, yet it may be something that opposing teams are now keying in on as part of their scouting prior to facing the Warriors.
The other fix is that Golden State acquire another center option who brings more offensive skill to the table, having been strongly linked to Nikola Vucevic in a report from The Athletic on Saturday. The 2x All-Star is shooting 63.6% on layups this season, not to mention he's averaging over 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists while shooting 43.6% from 3-point range.
Whether the Warriors ultimately trade for Vucevic or not, finishing at the rim is a key element Jackson-Davis desperately needs to work on over the remainder of the year and particularly during the offseason.