Reggie Jackson has been known more as a deterrent than an asset towards winning in recent years. Jackson was laughed at by fans and the media during his time with the Pistons for missing shots and jacking up everything in sight. Things got really bad this year. Jackson was shooting 38.4 percent from the field and Detroit granted him a buyout. The former Boston College guard was picked up quickly by the Clippers. Can Jackson actually help the Clippers?
Well, so far so good? It’s amazing what moving to a winning team can do for a player. Jackson has actually been a solid contributor for LA. Jackson has played 8 games for the Clips so far. In those 8 contests, Jackson is averaging 7.6 points per game and shooting over 48 percent from the floor. Pretty damn good for a guy who was doing nothing with Detroit.
The thing I like most about it is that it gives the Clippers another ball handler. Patrick Beverley is the primary point guard. Lou Williams has been the backup point guard, but is really more of a scoring two guard. The Clippers really don’t have many point guard options behind Pat Bev. Jackson gives them that and someone who can get the ball up and down the floor quicker.
The downside is that Jackson is not much of a distributor. Jackson’s assist rate has plummeted since he got paid. Maybe that will change with the Clippers. Still, this is a player that averaged 4.2 assists per game with a heavy usage rate as a starting point guard. The Clippers need more ball movers, not more scorer first guys.
So will Reggie Jackson actually help the Clippers? So far so good. It’s probably a gamble worth taking. Now it’s just a matter of how many minutes you can actually count on him for during crucial playoff series. We will find out.
