Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons to trade Reggie Jackson

3. Pistons fans have already turned on him

Whether he deserves it or not, Jackson has become a popular scapegoat among Detroit’s fanbase. It’s quite the turnaround for a player who was viewed as a rising star not too long ago.

In 2015-16, Jackson’s first full season with the Pistons and his first as a full-time starter in the NBA, he averaged 18.8 points and 6.6 assists per game while helping Detroit make the playoffs. That was also the first year of Jackson’s reported five-year, $80 million contract, which looked to be a good deal given his play that season and his future potential.

The following two seasons, however, Jackson was plagued by injuries. He missed 30 games one year, and 37 games the next. The Pistons missed the playoffs both times, and Jackson’s inability to stay healthy, along with his sizable salary, was often cited as problematic for the franchise.

Jackson has been healthy this season, but now the flaws in his game have become magnified as the Pistons continue to lose.

Head coach Dwane Casey wants Detroit to be a 3-point shooting team, and Jackson is a career 32.2 percent shooter from long range who is hitting 33.2 percent this season, even though he has the second-most attempts on the roster.

Jackson is a score-first point guard who excels when he can work off the dribble. It would be a stretch to say his style is outdated for today’s NBA, but the differences are glaring between Jackson and All-Star point guards such as Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard and Kyle Lowry, who effectively use the 3-pointer in their arsenal.

That’s not to say Jackson’s skill-set can’t help a lot of teams, particularly those who need shot-creators and backcourt depth.

In Detroit, however, Jackson is a player who makes star-level money but is not a star, and didn’t live up to the promise he had earlier in his stint with the Pistons.