Detroit Pistons: Assessing Reggie Jackson’s trade value

3. Good point guard play

Jackson was never able to develop into the elite point guard the Pistons were hoping for when they traded for him from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Part of that was due to injuries, and some of it was due to a bad fit in the modern NBA. Jackson was never a shooter or distributor, but he did a great job of getting to the basket. He doesn’t do it as well as he used to, but he can still get there throughout the game.

When looking around the league, there are a number of teams that Jackson could help out off the bench in a super-sub role like he had with the Thunder. This would allow Jackson to play against lesser talent. He has the ability to play against starters, but injuries have sapped him of some of his athleticism that makes his drives to the hole so much easier. The ability to break down defenses is not something that all players possess.

Point guard is still arguably the most important position in the NBA. Especially when it comes to the bench, you need a strong point guard to guide your bench unit. So many teams go to the bench and see leads evaporate. Jackson won’t be Marcus Smart to come off the bench and lock down opposing guards, but he can bring a certain level of offense that most other teams don’t have readily available to them.