Reggie Jackson & Andre Drummond
By Dan Feldman
"BOSTON – Reggie Jackson, explaining how the Pistons have welcomed him, got interrupted.“Hey, Reggie,” Andre Drummond said with a friendly tone from a couple lockers away.“What up, big fella?” Jackson responded.Jackson, acquired from the Thunder just before the trade deadline, has been up-and-down in 15 games with the Pistons. He’s averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game with Detroit, but also 3.2 turnovers and shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and 27.5 percent on 3-pointers.But if there’s one thing Jackson has clearly done right, it’s bond with Drummond.Drummond is the franchise player, and there’s a decent case the Pistons hired Stan Van Gundy in part because he helped mold a similar player in Dwight Howard. Everything revolves around Drummond.And Jackson seems like a good fit with the budding star.Detroit’s new point guard, despite playing fewer than half as many with Drummond this season as Brandon Jennings, has already thrown Drummond more alley-oop dunks than Jennings did. You can watch all 15:Jackson said spending time off the court with Drummond has been key.“The majority of time that we’ve spent hanging out has allowed us to both feel a little more comfortable opening up to each other,” Jackson said. “If there’s something he likes to do on the court, he relays it to me. If there’s a way I like to play in the pick-and-roll, I relay it to him. I think just two open-minded individuals who are just trying to find ways to be better players, be better teammates and trying to lead this organization in the right direction.”"
"Tayshaun Prince – who has given Jackson tips on how Mike Conley handled playing with Marc Gasol andZach Randolph in Memphis – said Jackson has benefitted lately from improved spacing with Greg Monroeout a few games due to injury. That has often left Jackson to work with Drummond and three shooters. Prince said Jackson can still make it worth both interior-focused bigs, even if playing with only one comes easier right now, and Van Gundy still says he hopes Monroe returns.But it has long seemed likely Monroe leaves as an unrestricted free agent this summer. If he does and the Pistons replace him with a stretch four – someone like Anthony Tolliver, who has started in Monroe’s absence – the Jackson-Drummond pairing could benefit.The Pistons have scored 105.6 points points per 100 possessions since Jackson’s arrival, according tonbawowy!.Drummond and Jackson with Monroe: 104.1Drummond and Jackson without Monroe: 114.9"