Detroit Pistons: 5 biggest disappointments from 2017-18 NBA season

3. Reggie Jackson‘s injury problems

Injuries were a big reason the Pistons didn’t make the postseason. The injury to starting point guard Reggie Jackson was a difficult one to overcome.

Injuries have plagued Jackson in recent seasons. He has appeared in only 97 games the past two seasons, forcing Detroit to dig deep into its depth chart at point guard. Not surprisingly, Jackson has seen his numbers drop in those seasons from his first full season with Detroit in the 2015-16 season.

This season, Jackson averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game, playing 45 games total. He had the worst defensive season of his career, finishing with a defensive rating of 111, according to Basketball-Reference. His 105 offensive rating was actually an improvement over the number he put up in 2016-17.

Jackson signed a massive five-year, $80 million contract extension with the Pistons in 2015. That looks like another move that Van Gundy made that isn’t going to pay dividends unless Jackson gets things back on track with his new big-man duo of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.