The Pistons have postseason aspirations in 2017/18 and those plans will significantly hinge on the performance of Reggie Jackson. Jackson is coming off an injury-riddled 2016/17 season in which he was limited to 52 games and averaged just 14.5 PPG and 5.2 APG, both totals being his lowest in a single season since his 2013/14 season with the Thunder.
With Jackson a liability last year, head coach Stan Van Gundy trotted out Ish Smith in favor of Jackson. Entering this season, Smith remains the backup to Jackson at point guard; despite their standings, Smith tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that Jackson has been working hard this summer and is showing glimpses of the player who averaged just under 19 PPG two seasons earlier.
“He’s out there in California enjoying himself, but he’s getting better,” Smith said. “He’s getting back to the Reggie Jackson everybody knows and loves.
Jackson’s coach echoed Smith’s sentiments, boasting about his point guard having a renewed confidence.
“He’s doing well and feeling good, and I think feeling confident too,” Van Gundy said. “Things are going in the right way so I’m going to go out there sometime in the next couple weeks and spend some time with him.”
Read additional stories around the NBA’s Central Division:
- The Bucks announced a sponsorship deal with Harley-Davidson which will allow the motorcycle company’s logo to appear on the team’s jerseys next season, ESPN’s Darren Rovell writes. With the deal, the Bucks become the 12th NBA franchise to reach a sponsorship deal that will feature a company logo on its jerseys.
- The Pacers are a weakened team without longtime star Paul George, who was traded to the Thunder, but third-year big man Myles Turner, still believes Indiana will be in the playoffs, We recently examined the team’s playoff aspirations in a Community Shootaround but making the postseason — despite the players’ optimism — remains a challenging task.