Opinion: Detroit Pistons need to move on from Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson is no longer cutting it at the point guard position for the Detroit Pistons. It might be time to move on by any means necessary.

The Detroit Pistons are a mess right now. Their losing streak extended to six games after losing on a last-second shot to the Charlotte Hornets last night.

On December 1, this team was 13-7 and coming off a win against the Golden State Warriors. This team we are watching just 13 days later isn’t the same one.

Yes, they have been decimated by injuries.

Ish Smith, Reggie Bullock, Henry Ellenson, and Glenn Robinson III are all out with injuries right now. The Pistons were lucky enough to get Stanley Johnson back for last night’s game.

I’ve watched every game this season. The Pistons have a number of flaws. Currently, one of their bigger problems is the point guard position.

Let’s face it, Reggie Jackson has been terrible. He fooled me.

The above article is about a stretch of 4-5 games in late November where Jackson was playing very well. Jackson was averaging 20.5 points per game and five assists. He was shooting 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from long range in those four games as well.

His numbers signaled that he was trending in the right direction. Now we’re back to square one.

Last night showed me everything I need to know about Reggie Jackson.

He got carved up by Kemba Walker on defense. Dwane Casey eventually put Bruce Brown on him to try and contain what was happening.

Casey’s philosophy of shooting more three-pointers is fine and dandy as long as the right guys are taking those shots.

Jackson shouldn’t be one of those guys. Currently, he’s attempting over six three-point shots a game and is only connecting on 33 percent of those.

For his career, he’s not been a good three-point shooter.

For what ever reason, he started out last night’s game playing stationary from the three-point line and was jacking up shots from five feet behind the line.

That’s what he does when he plays off the ball. He rarely moves or cuts to the basket when Blake Griffin does have the ball.

His numbers show that he had a decent night in Charlotte. He scored 18 points and was 36 percent from deep. However, I’m asking you to look at a larger sample size.

Over the team’s six-game losing streak, he’s shooting 38 percent from the field and 29 percent from deep. That’s absolutely putrid.

Jackson even attempted hero ball at a critical point in last night’s game and it failed miserably.

These numbers lead me to a theory.

Reggie Jackson simply does not fit in Casey’s system. He came into this season having to adapt to playing alongside Griffin, who Casey said would be playing more of a ‘point forward’ role.

Reggie Jackson cannot be effective unless he has the ball in his hands. Look at his offensive numbers now compared to his first full season with the Detroit Pistons.

He was averaging 18 points a game and was a borderline All Star. That’s because he was the focal point of that offense under Stan Van Gundy.

That’s not the case anymore. He’s failing to adapt and the numbers prove that.

The Detroit Pistons can’t afford to have someone who makes $17 million a year to play like this. He’s a liability on the floor more than he is an asset.

As long as Dwane Casey has Blake Griffin in this lineup, he will most likely be handling the ball more than any point guard they have.

If the front office could find a team where he would have the opportunity to be that focal point in an offense again, they should try and deal him.

They likely will get a bag of chips and a six pack in return, but this takes care of what seems like an inevitable situation.

I’m at a point where I would rather see Bruce Brown make an impact defensively over watching Jackson struggle on both ends. Brown could then get meaningful minutes at a position that many believe is his future.

I would like to see Luke Kennard get minutes at point guard! He’s a proven shooter that can move without the ball in his hands.

Reggie Jackson’s remaining time in Detroit will be slow and painful as long as he’s the starting point guard for this team.