Detroit Pistons: Do they have a true Big 3?

Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond are certified All-Stars, but how does point guard Reggie Jackson fit into the picture for the Detroit Pistons?

In 2018, the NBA landscape is littered with labels that inevitably cause endless arguments among fans and media because they have no real meaning.

You’ve heard them plenty of times: “Two-way player” … “super-team” … “closer” … “in his prime,” to name a few. One reason these labels are so polarizing is that they are all highly subjective with no official definitions.

For example, depending on who you ask, LeBron James is definitely a closer because he’s hit more postseason game-winning shots than anyone else in the league — or he’s definitely not a closer because on multiple occasions he’s passed up taking the last shot, and he’s missed clutch free throws more than a few times.

https://twitter.com/Quamania/status/1066826255172030470

One popular and polarizing label that went mainstream a little more than a decade ago is the “Big 3.”

When the trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen joined forces for the Boston Celtics in 2007, the “Big 3” immediately became their nickname, and it was easy to see why. Three All-Stars, future Hall-of-Famers, each recognized as the No. 1 name on their respective teams, were now on the same team.

It wasn’t the first time that had happened, but it was the first time the mainstream media took that label and ran with it to the point where it became common in the NBA lexicon. It eventually outlasted each the careers of KG, Pierce and Allen, and is still used today. “Big 3” has even been retroactively bestowed upon trios who were successful before Boston’s 2007 team.

But what exactly makes a “Big 3”?

Some would say every team has a Big 3; that it’s simply your three best players. Some would say it has to be three certified All-Stars to qualify. Some would say it has to be three players who can or could average at least 20 points per game. Some would say it has to be three players who have been or could be legit No. 1 options for another team.

Which brings us to the Detroit Pistons.

From the time Dwane Casey was hired as the team’s new head coach in June, he left no doubt that he viewed power forward Blake Griffin, center Andre Drummond and point guard Reggie Jackson as the team’s top three players.

It made perfect sense. Griffin, Drummond and Jackson were Detroit’s leading returning scorers and the team’s three highest-paid players.

Eighteen games into the 2018-19 season, that hasn’t changed. Griffin leads the Pistons at 25.1 points per game to go with 9.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Drummond is averaging 18.7 points and a league-high 16.0 rebounds. Jackson is chipping in 16 points per game.

The only other double-digit scorer on the team is wing Reggie Bullock, a “role player” (another one of those labels) by just about any definition who is averaging 10.6 points per game.

The Pistons’ top three are good, but can they rightfully be called a “Big 3”?

Griffin is a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA pick who has averaged 20-plus points in all but one year of his career. Before he was traded to the Pistons last season, he was a mainstream-famous face of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise who had national endorsement deals and was known even by casual sports fans for his highlight-reel dunks.

By almost any measure you could come up with, Griffin is a star.

Drummond is a two-time All-Star with one All-NBA nod on his resume. He has led the NBA in rebounding twice over the last three full seasons and appears on his way to earning a third rebounding title. Prior to Griffin’s arrival, Drummond was undoubtedly the best player and marquee name on the Pistons.

Most reasonable observers would agree that the Pistons at least have a dynamic duo with Griffin and Drummond — perhaps even a 2018 small-ball version of the “Twin Towers.”

That leaves Jackson.

A first-round draft pick in 2011, Jackson has been a productive sixth man or starter on some good teams, but he’s never made an All-Star or All-NBA roster. His NBA accolades consist of two Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors he earned three years ago. Prior to that, Jackson had his greatest team success when he helped the Oklahoma City Thunder make it to the 2014 Western Conference Finals.

Jackson’s best pro season was 2015-16, when he averaged 18.8 points and 6.6 assists per game as Detroit’s starting point guard, helping lead them to the playoffs.

Since then, however, Jackson has been plagued by injuries. He failed to step up to that next level of status he was on the verge of two years ago. He’s just missed too many games, while the Pistons went back to missing the playoffs.

Is Jackson a star? It would be a reach to call him that.

Does he meet the criteria to join Griffin and Drummond in a true “Big 3” for Detroit? Again, everyone has their own definition; but it’s safe to assume most would reject that proposal.

So while the Pistons may not have a “Big 3” right now, it is something they can develop. Barring a trade, their top three guys will be together for at least the next two seasons: Jackson’s contract expires in 2020, Drummond’s in 2021 and Griffin’s in 2022.

During that time — and even more likely if the core group stays together longer — they could become a “Big 3” if Griffin and Drummond simply maintain status quo, and if Jackson, 28, stays healthy and realizes the potential he showed not too long ago.

An All-Star nod probably isn’t in the cards for Jackson this season. He’s playing well and the Pistons are in the East playoff picture at 11-7, but this team will be fortunate to have Griffin and Drummond both make the All-Star Game; a third Piston would only maybe join them if the team found itself in first place at the time of the All-Star selections.

Also consider that Jackson’s All-Star competition among guards in the East includes Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, John Wall, Bradley Beal, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Zach LaVine, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Trae Young.

Jackson has, however, shown signs of at least being a viable contender for stardom.

When the Pistons beat the Houston Rockets on Nov. 23, Griffin scored a team-high 28 points, while Drummond posted a monster 23-point, 20-rebound stat line. Jackson finished with 22 points, with 19 of them coming in the fourth quarter.

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote after that game that Jackson “put on his cape to rescue his team.” Ellis added:

"“It was a rare sight this season with Griffin and Drummond carrying the Pistons to a 9-7 record, which was good for fifth in the Eastern Conference at the time of this writing.“Jackson has struggled mostly as he tried to find his way in first-year coach Dwane Casey’s system, a way of playing that impacts Jackson the most on the roster because he’s often forced to play off the ball.“But for the Pistons to earn the stated goal of home-court advantage for a playoff series, Jackson must join Griffin and Drummond to form their own Big 3.”"

Last season, when Griffin joined the team late and injuries struck him and Jackson, this potential “Big 3” only played together for 44 total minutes.

The trio is still early into its first full season as a unit and has played fewer than 20 total games together. They’re also playing for a new coach. It will take some time for the Pistons to find their identity and for their three best players to find a working chemistry.

When that happens, Detroit’s top three could prove more deserving of the “Big 3” label.