Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson looked completely healthy in his return after a 42-game break due to a back injury. Here are three takeaways.
Reggie Jackson‘s status with his back injury and past injury history left Detroit Pistons fans in the dark on what to expect. His return happened quickly, due to a lack of updates from the Pistons staff. His triumphant return was better than imagined.
Jackson scored 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting with four assists and one turnover. It comes after missing 42 games over a three-month stretch with a back injury.
Detroit gave few updates, providing an official one seven weeks ago that said he would be reevaluated in two weeks. There was nothing reported two weeks later, which left fans questioning his progression.
He most recently saw a back specialist in Los Angeles and was expected to return “in the next couple of weeks” according to a report. Well, he did with a bang.
During the 2017-18 season, Jackson missed 37 games with a grade 3 right ankle sprain. He returned after and had a sub-par performance. He scored seven points on 3 of 7 from the floor with two assists.
Jackson missed the first 21 games of the 2016-17 season after receiving platelet-rich plasma injections for left knee tendinitis and a UCL sprain of his right thumb. His return mirrored the performance he had last night. He scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four assists and three turnovers.
A career that has been marked by injuries, the Pistons have the reinforcements to whether the storm, and did. The Pistons’ 127-106 win over the Sacramento Kings while Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown and Tim Frazier was made extra special with Jackson’s trademark smile.
It pulled the Pistons (17-28) within 2 1/2 games of the Brooklyn Nets (18-24), who are on a four-game losing streak, in the Eastern Conference standings. While it’s still an uphill battle, it’s clear that Jackson is going to be a critical piece for a roster, front office and ownership that still wants to win.
Here are three takeaways from Jackson’s performance.