Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson has now spent a little over four seasons with the team. Entering his contract year, how will the 9-year veteran play?
It’s been over four years since the Detroit Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson. The point guard has now played more than half of his career representing the Motor City. Now 29 and entering a contract year, what should be expected from the soon-to-be nine-year vet?
When the team first traded for Jackson, giving up Kyle Singler (who went on to post one of the worst offensive seasons in the NBA the following year), D.J. Augustin (who went on to nail a game-winner in game 1 against the eventual NBA Champs, the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 playoffs, but as a member of the Orlando Magic), and a second-round pick in 2019 (which believe it or not, the Pistons regained that pick in a trade with the Boston Celtics, who received the pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then the Pistons traded the pick again to the Dallas Mavericks who picked Isaiah Roby), I felt like the team basically traded for an off-brand Russell Westbrook. Jackson has the same inefficient shooting and defensive play, just not to the same extent as his former Thunder counterpart.
However, upon getting traded to Detroit, Jackson played his best basketball.
In the 27 games following the trade to close out the season, Jackson put up 17.6/4.7/9.2 on shooting splits of .43/.33/.79. In the following 2016 seasons, Jackson put up a career-high 18.8 points-per-game in 79 games with splits of .45/.36/.86.
Since then, the wheels have sort of fallen off. Whether that can be attributed to injuries or just poor play, something needs to change.
Jackson’s minutes have dropped almost by three minutes-per-game, nearly five if you want to count his 27-game stint after being traded. His points-per-game has fallen from 18.8 in 2016 to 15.4 in 2019. His distribution has sunken to 4.2 after averaging at least five-plus assists-per-game.
Though there are still some positive takeaways (if you want to call them positive) that can be grabbed from last season. Jackson played in all 82 games for the first time in his career.
Although they aren’t great percentages, he shot career-highs in effective field goal shooting and true shooting at 50 percent and 54.7 percent, respectively. His latest season has been his best all-around season since joining the Pistons.
In 2019, what Reggie Jackson will be seen?
The unfortunate, yet not shocking, fact of the matter is that as a nine-year veteran, I think fans know exactly what they’ll get with Jackson. He’ll probably score about 15 points-per-game, with 5 assists, while going 6-14 from the field, and some average defense on the other side of the court.
He’ll probably sign a 3-year contract for $30 million dollars this upcoming offseason, maybe even with the Pistons. If he can replicate the success he had this past season on the court, most teams would gladly agree to that deal, he is still just 29.
Or he’ll crank it up a notch and score 16 points-per-game, with 5 assists, while going 7-15 from the field.
He could surprise us all.
He was rumored to be a potential asset for Russell Westbrook, who was instead traded to Houston for Chris Paul. Now, will the NBA world report repeatedly that Detroit is interested in Chris Paul, just like the Westbrook coverage?
Will Jackson make his return to Oklahoma City as part of that deal?
Will Jackson be re-signed next offseason?
Will he have a career year?
Will Stranger Things season 4 be as great as season 3?
The answer to all these questions, simply put, is that I have no idea. I’m not Reggie Jackson or the Duffer Brothers.
I’m just a dude writing some words about basketball. I would, however, holdout hope that both season 4 and Reggie Jackson will be better than their latest season.