Over the last six games, Josh Jackson has had some of his best games of the season, indicating that he may be turning a corner in his development with the Detroit Pistons.
On their recent West Coast trip, Jackson was impressive to say the least, scoring 17, 22, 11, and 28 points, respectively, against the Utah Jazz, who have the best record in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns, who are ranked fourth in the West, and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are second in the West, and against the Golden State Warrior
On Monday night, against the Nets, the 6-foot-6 Jackson also scored 13 points.
(All stats courtesy ESPN Stats)
Josh Jackson has been a great find for Detroit Pistons
Jackson’s improvement has been less of a surprise, and more of a confirmation for those who have followed him since being drafted fourth overall in 2017 (Jayson Tatum was taken right before him, and De’Aaron Fox right after)..
Despite his exceptional athleticism, length, and explosiveness, Jackson struggled to put everything together. He often found himself mired offensively, struggling to find consistent ways to score the ball, and not providing enough defensively to find consistent minutes on the floor, outside of a very limited bench role.
After spending much of last season with the Memphis Grizzlies’ G-League team, Jackson signed with his hometown Pistons.
This season, he’s fit in perfectly with Detroit’s surplus of wings, and has shown improvement in his ball-handling. That has enabled him to further create for himself out of the pick and roll, off the dribble, and in the fast break, leading to a variety of finishes in the paint that have added another wrinkle to Detroit’s offense.
Despite the Pistons’ relatively slow pace (ranked 26th) this season, Jackson’s athleticism has shone through. He’s been impressive in the half-court setting, as a wing capable of attacking the rim, driving and kicking, and drawing fouls.
Defensively, Jackson has always had the intangibles to succeed, and he’s visibly improved in this area as well. Over the course of 22 games, Jackson has 21 blocks and 21 steals, serving as a testament to his positioning, and his athletic tools that have enabled him to thrive, in spurts.
Although there hasn’t been a drastic difference statistically, Jackson’s renaissance year has extended somewhat in the realm of stats. He’s proven to be far from the stagnant piece within the offenses he occupied in Memphis and Phoenix.
Jackson’s next step on both ends will be consistency, and impacting the game on both ends the way he’s capable of doing.
If he’s able to finally put the combination together in a consistent role, like he’s done within these last few games, the Detroit Pistons will have even more to be pleased about the work they did in the offseason.