Despite being far away from potentially reaching the postseason, the Detroit Pistons have won three of their last four games, coinciding with the return of starting point guard Reggie Jackson.
The Boston College product has only played in limited minutes so far, but he saw a huge bump of them against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, pouring in 20 points in 28 minutes in a 112-106 win.
Head coach Stan Van Gundy was a bit concerned with his extended playing time, noting his staff will be more careful with hi starting point guard moving forward.
“He finished the game, so it was a step forward, but a few too many minutes, quite honestly,” Van Gundy said, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We probably should have him down more to 24 or 25 minutes.”
Teammate Blake Griffin saw things as a glass half-full, noticing the impact the seventh-year veteran has had in this team as of late.
“He just looked comfortable; he’s starting to get his wind back,” forward Blake Griffin said. “There’s literally no substitute for basketball conditioning and basketball shape, so just playing the game and practicing has helped him a lot.
“He looks very in control — and that’s a good sign.”
In his four games back, Jackson is averaging north of 11 points per game in limited minutes; but most importantly, he's helped Detroit regain a sense of confidence, and allowed backup Ish Smith to flourish off the bench, giving the team's second unit a much-needed spark.
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