Frank Jackson has been instant offense off the bench for the Detroit Pistons for most of the second half of the season.
The Pistons are no strangers to having great bench scorers, as they’ve had many in their storied history, including Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson, who set the Pistons’ standard for coming into the game with a hot hand.
Jackson has been doing his best Microwave impression lately, scoring at least 17 points off the bench in five of the last six games.
He has improved his 3-point shooting to over 40 percent this season and is very much looking like a guy who deserves a shot at a roster spot next season after coming into this one on a 2-way deal.
While Jackson may have some Microwave vibes, the player he reminds me most of is Jason Terry, who had a long and successful career as a combo guard scorer off the bench.
Before you get angry, I am not saying Frank Jackson is going to be as good as Jason Terry, but there are some similarities.
Detroit Pistons: Frank Jackson is similar to Jason Terry
For younger fans who aren’t familiar with him, Jason Terry had a very successful 19-year career, mostly coming off the bench as a scorer.
Like Jackson, Terry was a tweener guard who played some at the point and at the two, but was really known for his instant offense off the bench.
The similarities don’t end there. Both guys started out with iffy 3-point shots that improved immensely in their first couple of years. Both players are shoot-first guards who can also make plays and both guys can defend both guard positions because of quick hands and both can get hot quickly and score in bunches.
Jackson put this on display last night against the Cavs, putting the Pistons on his back down the stretch and ending the game with 20 points off the bench.
You know Fourth Quarter Frank?#DetroitUp | @FWJackson15 pic.twitter.com/xr5nBeVN3K
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) April 20, 2021
Their age-22 numbers are also very similar. Jason Terry entered the NBA as a 22-year-old rookie, so Jackson is already ahead of him in that regard, as he is in his 3rd season at the same age.
Terry averaged 8.1 points at age 22 before blowing up the next season and getting 19.7 per game for the Hawks. Jackson is averaging 8.4 points (in four fewer minutes per game) in his first season getting real minutes and has much better shooting numbers than Terry did at the same age.
Of course, Terry blew up at age 23 when his minutes and opportunities increased. It wasn’t until a few years later that Terry started coming off the bench and he then put together a run that puts him among the best sixth men in the history of the NBA.
Will Jackson make a similar leap next season with increased minutes? He has proven himself to be the Pistons’ most reliable scorer off the bench and if he leans into that role, he could end up having a Jason Terry-like impact for the Pistons.
It’s a stretch at this point to say that Jackson could end up being the type of sixth man that Terry was, or that he will play 19 years in the NBA, but Jackson has a similar makeup and skillset, as well as the selfless mentality to come off the bench and be the guy who can carry a team on any given night.
Frank Jackson has been one of the biggest surprises for the Detroit Pistons and they need to extend him and let him grow as their go-to bench scorer as Jason Terry was for many years in Dallas.