NBA: 10 candidates for bounce-back seasons in 2017-18

1. Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson is under contract through the 2019-20 season, so it’s not like he needs a bounce-back season for his financial well-being. But after such an ugly 2016-17 campaign that landed him on the trading block at various points, Jackson definitely needs to prove himself worthy of that five-year, $80 million deal.

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Missing the first 21 games of the year is a tough way to start any NBA season, but Jackson noticeably struggled upon returning, making matters worse for a Detroit Pistons team that was already falling well short of expectations.

For the season, Jackson saw his numbers decrease from 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game in 2015-16 to 14.5 points and 5.2 assists per game. He posted paltry shooting splits of .419/.359/.868 and even worse, the team actually posted a better winning percentage in 30 games without him (.467) than it did in the the 52 games with him on the court (.442).

Drummond and KCP joined Jackson in trade rumors as the deadline approached, but the key to Detroit’s pick-and-roll offense is a confident, efficient Reggie Jackson who’s not dealing with rust or injury problems.

Next: Complete 2017 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams

In 2017-18, Detroit’s playoff hopes may very well rest on Jackson bouncing back, because if he doesn’t, not only will the Pistons be stuck without a quality point guard as they head back to the lottery, but they won’t be able to move his contract that will look worse and worse the more he struggles.