Reggie Jackson has been Clippers' Unsung Hero During 4-0 Stretch
Reggie Jackson has been terrific for the L.A. Clippers this season.
The former Detroit Pistons guard was bought out just days before the end of the All-Star break, and the Clippers promptly signed him for the remainder of the season — a contract that, fortunately, extends into the postseason as well.
Initially, there were some questions about Jackson's fit with the Clippers. As a shoot-first point guard, some fans were concerned about him taking shots away from guys like Lou Williams and Landry Shamet — both of whom are integral parts of the rotation.
Those concerns were legitimate, too. During his time with the Pistons this season, Jackson hadn't been playing as well as Williams and Shamet. He appeared in just 14 games and made 38.4% of his attempts from the field — the lowest mark of his career since his rookie season in 2011-2012.
Things weren't exactly looking up in Detroit, either. After the Pistons traded Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it looked like Jackson was going to be one of the highest-usage players on the roster. On top of that, the Pistons have had a nightmare of a season.
Detroit is 20-42 on the year, ranking in the bottom-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Things weren't supposed to be this way — the Pistons qualified for the postseason in 2018-2019 with a 41-41 record, and after a solid offseason, the expectation was that this team would improve. Injuries got in the way of that.
A change of scenery was essential for Jackson, and the Clippers were eager to give him a new home. And based on his performance thus far, the deal has worked out exceptionally well for both sides.
At face value, Jackson's numbers don't exactly jump off the page. He's averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in five appearances for L.A. But Jackson has been incredibly efficient during that stretch, posting shooting splits of .531/.444/1.000.
It's a small sample size, yes. But it's obvious just from watching him play that Jackson has completely bought into the Clippers' goal of winning a title this season, even if that means his role will reduce significantly compared to what he was asked to do in Detroit.
Jackson hasn't played more than 22 minutes in a game for L.A. yet, but that hasn't stopped him from stuffing the stat sheet in a few contests. He played particularly well in the Clippers' 29-point blowout victory over the Denver Nuggets, recording 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in less than 19 minutes of action.
But the biggest takeaway from Jackson's time with the Clippers so far is how good the second unit has looked with him on the floor.
Williams has looked like a different player alongside Jackson, getting all kinds of quality looks off the ball while still dishing out his usual number of assists. The two have really started to click lately — Williams is averaging 20.5 points and 7.5 assists in his last two games, shooting an absurd 72.7% from three-point range. Jackson's ability as a shooter means opposing teams won't be able to double Williams as often, and it's resulted in both players getting better shots.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shamet has been efficient from deep since Jackson moved to the bench, either. The second-year guard has knocked down 47.1% of his looks from beyond the arc over the last four games.
The second unit just looks better with Jackson at the helm, and his presence should only continue to unlock new opportunities for a bench that already led the league in scoring before his arrival.
Jackson will get another chance to impress tonight against his former team when the L.A. Clippers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time.
