Detroit Pistons: 3 goals for Reggie Jackson in 2018-19

The Detroit Pistons committed to Reggie Jackson long-term in 2015. He’s had spurts where that decision looked great, but he needs to make 2018-19 an extended one.

The Detroit Pistons are in a state of flux this season. They are making an identity shift under new head coach Dwane Casey, which could mean bad news for a player like Reggie Jackson.

Jackson signed a five-year, $80 million contract back in 2015. Over time, the contract continues to look worse. When healthy, Jackson is an above-average point guard, particularly in the Eastern Conference. However, that “when healthy” disclaimer has been rare for the former Oklahoma City Thunder super-sub.

Heading into this season, the Pistons could look to trade the guard early or at the deadline. If he rebuilds his value, they could possibly get back a young piece to develop. They could also allow him to mentor Bruce Brown Jr. The rookie isn’t ready to lead the team and he could use a steady hand like Jackson ahead of him. The bottom line, however, is that Jackson needs to have a bounce-back season if he wants to stay in the Motor City long-term.

In order to do that, he’ll need to hit a few benchmarks to consider the season a success for him. Casey’s system will take some time for Jackson to adjust to because it’s very different from what he ran under Stan Van Gundy and in OKC. Ball-sharing and 3-point shooting will have more value than he has ever known. Jackson has shown the ability to be a leader and team player in the past. He’ll have to do both this season.