REGGIE JACKSON IMPRESSES ON HIS NBA DEBUT WITH THE DENVER NUGGETS

With the 2022-23 NBA regular season about to end a few weeks from today, teams in the 30-team league have tried to shuffle things up for their squads in order to increase their chances of advancing to the succeeding rounds of the tourney.

Desperate for at least a seat in the upcoming playoffs, a couple of teams had to dispose of a few players and acquire new ones en route to this year’s trade deadline, which hit the league on February 9.

A few of the notable trades and deals for this season include the Lakers’ reinforced roster with the addition of ex-Wolves D’Lo Russell and Jared Vanderbilt, among others, multi-awarded NBA superstar Kyrie Irving’s departure from the Nets, and Gary Payton II’s homecoming to the Bay Area.

Currently sitting comfortably at the top spot in the Western Conference with a 43-19 slate, the Denver Nuggets, like other teams, was forced to make some decisions to solidify their roster and secure a back-to-back playoffs appearance. After acquiring 6-foot-10 center Thomas Bryant from the Lakers, the Michael Malone-led squad followed it up with 11-year veteran Reggie Jackson’s addition to the team.

Does Jackson’s acquisition actually fortify the Nuggets’ roster? What can he bring to his newfound home? Moreover, does this move by Denver make any change to their team’s 2022-23 NBA odds?

VAI DAÍ, REGGIE JACKSON? 🤯 🤯#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/dEs0Iqp9qz

— NBA Brasil (@NBABrasil) February 24, 2023

UNDERRATED VETERAN

Since making his NBA debut in 2011, Jackson has since been one of the most underrated players in the league.

Jackson’s collegiate career with the Boston College Eagles played such an integral role in his rise as one of the most formidable role players there has been. In spite of playing behind the shadows of Tyrese Rice and Rakim Sanders in his rookie year, Jackson’s reliability as an explosive second stringer enabled the Eagles to enter the NCAA Tournament.

The following year, the team failed to repeat the same feat but came back stronger on Jackson’s third and final year with Boston, entering NCAA’s National Invitation Tournament. The eventual first team All ACC honoree wrapped his career with BC averaging 18.2 points per game, along with 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks backed by an excellent 50/42/80 shooting split.

Reggie Jackson getting his first taste of Jokic's insane assists 😂

(h/t @SchuckFarms) pic.twitter.com/UK0Jpb5jRd

— Alec Gwin (@alecgwin) February 16, 2023

A Decade Long Career In NBA

The Boston alumni then declared for the NBA draft in 2011, standing as the 24^th pick in the first round. Later that year, he was signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder where he played for four seasons. Jackson’s 11.1-minute stints in 45 games during his first year was short yet enough to exhibit his potential, generating 3.1 points per game off a 32/21/86 shooting efficiency.

The following year, Reggie assumed Russell Westbrook’s position in the starting five after the latter tore his meniscus. There, the then-sophomore Jackson earned more time on the court and was able to produce 5.1 points per game, along with 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

In his succeeding years with the team, Jackson had become Oklahoma’s backbone, ending his career with OKC averaging 12.8 points in 28.0 minutes per game across 50 performances. He also displayed an improved shooting efficiency on his final year, delivering 43.2% and 86.1% from the field and the free-throw line, respectively.

Pistons Six Season Legacy

In February 2015, Jackson moved to the Detroit Pistons and eventually played for the franchise for six seasons. During his stay with the team, the 6’10 guard had numerous notable moments. These include multiple triple-doubles in his first year alone and several career-highs, including a 20-assist outing in a win against the Grizzlies.

The tenacity he displayed each game made the Pistons sign him again in 2015. Over his stint with Detroit, Jackson averaged 15.8 points per game, along with 3.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

After his long stay with Detroit, Jackson’s next stop was at the LA Clipper’s side. After initially signing a one-year contract, his lethal skills were enough for the team’s front office to go after him and make him sign a two-year contract. Joining the likes of Paul George and Patrick Beverley, Jackson’s addition to the team led to the Clipper’s first-ever Western Conference Finals appearance.

Despite eventually losing the series to the Phoenix Suns, Jackson had surely embedded his mark in the league. Before leaving the Clippers this season, Jackson appeared in 52 games for the team, averaging 10.9 points per game backed by a 41/35/92 shooting split.

With these spectacular stats on the table, any team can really benefit from Jackson’s offensive and defensive tactics. Now adding force to an already solid Nuggets roster, losing the top spot in the West anytime soon is close to impossible for Denver.

Reggie was born in Italy but lived most of his childhood in Colorado Springs, so being in the Nuggets he is right at home.

We have signed free agent guard Reggie Jacksonhttps://t.co/RGPhI5Rue8

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 15, 2023

Impressive Debut For The Nuggets

Coming off a remarkable career before joining the team, Jackson definitely had what it takes to beef up Denver’s roster.

After officially signing with the Nuggets on February 15, the veteran was expected to debut for the team in their battle against the Mavericks, but it was ten days after inking his contract that he actually had his first appearance for the team.

In his Nuggets debut, Jackson finished with seven points, four rebounds, and two assists while also posting a 25/25/100 shooting split. It was an impressive beginning for Reggie, considering how he only had 18 minutes to show what he’s got on the floor.

All the veteran’s seven points were noteworthy, with him dishing his way off to the rim for his first Nuggets bucket. To make his debut even better, Jackson made a beyond half court buzzer beater in the third quarter, keeping the trailing Nuggets close to the Cavs and eventually bagging the win, 115-109.

In his next two games with the team, Jackson dropped eight and seven points, respectively. Say he is given more time on the floor, the NBA veteran can definitely up his numbers for the team. Either way, whether Jackson is a starter or a second stringer, he will definitely deliver whenever the team needs his services.

Final Thoughts

With the regular season wrapping up soon, teams really have to make the most out of their rosters and maximize every cog’s skill set. Jackson, meanwhile, can also be given more minutes as he has proven himself through and through throughout his stay in the league.

The Denver Nuggets will attempt to keep the lead in the West as they visit the struggling Houston Rockets on Tuesday, February 28, at the Toyota Center.

Credits on Featured Image: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons