After a down season in 2016-17 in which Reggie Jackson never really appeared to be fully healthy or have the burst that made him an effective NBA point guard, Reggie Jackson and the Detroit Pistons have had a bounce-back season in 2017-18 thus far. If I were an NBA betting man I wouldn’t have thought the Pistons to be a legit contender in the East at the start of this season. But here we are, on the cusp of 2018 no less.
Unfortunately, Jackson’s comeback campaign is going to put on hold for a while after a right ankle injury suffered in the 3rd quarter of the Pistons 107-83 win over the Pacers on Tuesday night.
Reggie Jackson to be out at least 6-to-8 weeks, per Detroit Pistons #DetroitPistons https://t.co/2Wo7VB2Hts pic.twitter.com/38H5HxPi1U
— Pistons Report (@pistons_fanly) December 27, 2017
With Jackson’s production and playing time, averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 27 minutes per game, you would think that this is a huge blow for a Pistons team that is fighting for a top four seed in the Eastern Conference, but a further look into the number could say otherwise.
Here is a breakdown of the Pistons offensive and defensive ratings with each of their three point or combo guards on the court this season (via NBA.com and CBS Sports):
Jackson is very effective at times, but his inefficiency and inconsistency can hamper the Pistons at times and it will be interesting to see how the Pistons fare with Ish Smith and Langston Galloway for longer stretches over the next few months.
