During the last six games, the Detroit Pistons are 3-3, with wins over the Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Bulls and losses to the 76ers, Hornets, and Magic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Reggie Jackson’s per-game averages and shooting percentages are dismal through his first half dozen contests. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old point guard is already making his teammates better on a nightly basis.
A slow start should have been expected for Jackson, who missed the first several weeks of 2016-17 dealing with knee tendinitis. However, canning a 25-footer on your first offensive possession of the season is not a great way to temper the expectations of a hungry home crowd in the Palace of Auburn Hills.
[protected-iframe id=”08d36e458c5a42fa0214ac45c86be2fb-114320562-56121583″ info=”https://3ball.io/jackson-magic/0021600300_4″ width=”560″ height=”315″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]Since sinking that trey, Jackson has gone just 30-for-80 from the field, and he is managing only 13.5 points (38.3 FG, 36.4 3Pt, 84.6 FT), 4.3 assists to 2.2 turnovers, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. As a result, Detroit’s Offensive Rating is 107.2 without him on the floor compared to 103.1 with him, per nbawowy.com.
Thankfully, Jackson’s biggest impact has been on defense, and the team is noticeably stingier when he’s on the court.
[protected-iframe id=”d14259b6ea0280459955d17379623934-114320562-56121583″ info=”https://3ball.io/jackson-stl/0021600317_210″ width=”560″ height=”315″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]With Jackson on the floor, the team is boasting a 97.9 Defensive Rating, compared to 103.9 without him. On the year Detroit is only second (to Memphis) in D-Rating at 102.9, per basketball-reference.com. Through Jackson’s 154 minutes, the Pistons appear to have the makings of a truly elite defense. That rating (with Reggie) will more than likely sneak back up over 100 in due time, especially if John Wall still feels some type of way about being paid less than Jackson heading into this evening. Still, that 97.9 Defensive Rating is almost five points better than the Grizzlies, who currently lead the league at 102.8. This is what happens when you replace the undersized Ish Smith (5-11 with a 6-4.5 wingspan) with R-Jax, a 6-3 point guard with an unreal 7-0 wingspan.
[protected-iframe id=”f80b15f103b57e278497195e9d0a1e15-114320562-56121583″ info=”https://3ball.io/jackson-stl/0021600356_374″ width=”560″ height=”315″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]Honestly, it should have been sending shivers down all of our spines that the Pistons were thriving on that end without the services of Jackson. One-third of the regular season is in the books, and Detroit is sitting pretty at 14-13, just a half-game back of the 14-12 Charlotte Hornets for the third seed in the East. The Pistons certainly aren’t the only team that has dealt with injuries, but they’ve dealt with theirs better than most. As Magic Johnson said following a Game 2 blowout loss to MJ’s Bulls in the 1991 Finals, it doesn’t matter whether you win by one or 20, it’s still 1-1. Point differential doesn’t mean diddly squat at the end of the day unless a tiebreaker comes into play, yet the Pistons own the third-best differential (+3.3) in the conference and the eighth-best in the entire NBA. If Jackson can regain command on offense and continue shooting the long-ball at a career-best percentage as his minutes and usage rise, the Pistons may soon be breaking down the doors they’re knocking on in Chicago, Boston, New York, and Charlotte.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (18-6) and Toronto Raptors (18-7) have a decent lead over the rest of the pack, but I’ll be surprised if Detroit doesn’t establish themselves as a favorite to earn home-court advantage in the first round. The end of the road here in 2016 won’t be easy, instead it will be treacherous. After Friday’s matchup with Washington, Detroit takes on Indiana tomorrow, then Chicago (12/19), Memphis (12/21), Golden State (12/23), Cleveland (12/26), Milwaukee (12/28), and Atlanta (12/30). Only three of these are road tilts, but every one of these next seven opponents is either in the playoff picture or looking to creep into it.
Winter is no longer coming: it’s here. Are Reggie Jackson and the Detroit Pistons ready?
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