How Handicapped Would Detroit Pistons Be Without Reggie Jackson?

The Detroit Pistons’ near-perfect offseason, one that inched the long-suffering franchise closer to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, just became a little less perfect. 

According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, star point guard Reggie Jackson may be out of the lineup for a significant period of time: 

Today’s hot rumble: Hearing Detroit, fearing Reggie Jackson may miss extended time to start the season, will explore the point guard market.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 5, 2016

After missing Tuesday’s open practice, Detroit’s Reggie Jackson told local scribes he’s been battling tendinitis in his left knee for years.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 5, 2016

Detroit spent much of the summer trying to acquire depth at multiple positions, but it couldn’t possibly have prepared for this. Signing Ish Smith as the backup floor general was a strong move after the 28-year-old’s breakout performance for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he’s not capable of filling in for Jackson over an extended period. 

And that’s not even the biggest initial concern. 

“More troubling for the Pistons is what happens when Smith rests,” Dan Feldman wrote for Pro Basketball Talk. “As large as the drop is from Jackson to Smith, it’s even larger from Smith to Lorenzo Brown or Ray McCallum—who are competing for the 15th regular-season roster spot and third-point-guard duties.” 

Internal Replacements

Just take a peek at the massive difference in class between Jackson and all the other internal options, leaning on NBA Math’s total points added breakdown from the 2015-16 campaign: 

Create bar charts

Brown and McCallum would’ve provided less value than Smith had they played similar minutes and not operated almost solely in garbage-time scenarios. Neither young player is ready to serve as a primary backup. 

Smith won’t replicate the efforts of Jackson, who last season made a convincing case for All-Star consideration, averaging 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc. The talented Boston College product was the spark that made Detroit’s offense work. It shouldn’t be surprising that the Pistons scored an additional …

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