LA Clippers: Reggie Jackson is fitting perfectly into new role

Released from the Detroit Pistons to pursue a championship with the LA Clippers, Reggie Jackson is flourishing in what might be his ideal role.

It’s not often that the opportunity comes to go from worst to first in the NBA, but Reggie Jackson got just that break after the All-Star break. Languishing with the free-falling Detroit Pistons, Jackson elected to take a buyout of the final few months of his contract and move to join his friend Paul George with the LA Clippers.

The Pistons will finish with one of the worst records in the NBA, and the Clippers are one of the best teams in the NBA and are a serious championship contender when fully healthy. It was a new lease on life for Jackson and he’s making the most of it in Los Angeles.

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Jackson forfeited a starting role with the Pistons where he was averaging almost 30 minutes per game and swapped it for a reserve spot with the Clippers. He’s playing 19.8 minutes per game in his five appearances so far and he’s fitting in well as a spot starter and pressure valve of sorts to lighten the load on Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, depending on what’s needed on a given night.

For some time now, Jackson’s best role would probably have been as a reserve guard. Given his health history and an asthma condition, he’s no longer the kind of player who can give his team heavy minutes. Gone are the days when he can provide over 30 minutes per game of high-level performance, so coming off the bench in short stints to provide scoring punch is ideal.

Jackson is off to a hot start from the field with the LA Clippers, shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and 44.4 from 3-point range and his true shooting percentage sits at 69.3 percent. He’s averaging 9.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in his action so far.

This is a small sample, of course, but he’s shooting 37.3 from 3-point range since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, so it’s safe to assume his solid shooting will continue.

Without the heavy load placed on his scoring abilities as often the best player on the floor for the Pistons, Jackson has been able to flourish as a third or fourth option on the offensive side of the floor. His usage rate is just 16.7 percent as he defers to Kawhi Leonard, Montrezl Harrell, George and Williams.

Most of his minutes have come with Harrell, Williams, JaMychal Green and Landry Shamet in true bench mob style. Harrell and Williams shoulder the heaviest loads offensively, both with over 26 percent usage, while Green, Shamet and Jackson fill in the gaps around them.

Jackson’s defense has even been something of a surprise, clearing the way for him to be a clear plus performer in clutch situations, like this block on Shake Milton to ice the LA Clippers win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

While Reggie Jackson likely won’t swing a playoff series for the Clippers this spring, he’s in LA to lighten the load on their many stars, the players who WILL swing a playoff series. His added depth, shooting and playmaking bring a new element to a team looking for just that considering their load management and injury concerns.