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Reggie Jackson, the rebirth of the Clippers

At the end of the contract after the cruel disillusionment of the Clippers, eliminated in the conference semifinals by the Nuggets, Reggie Jackson extended to Los Angeles for a year. But the substitute leader hesitated for a long time before taking it again for a lap.

Broken physically and morally

Too often injured in the Pistons, the one who had been recruited to be the titular leader of a reconstruction project in Detroit in 2015 had gradually lost his faith. After a season with 19 points, 6 assists, for his first full year with the Pistons, Jackson never found the flame with 15 points and 5 assists during the following three campaigns, including two in a row well truncated by injuries between 2016 and 2018, particularly at the ankle.

The very painful elimination during the last playoffs, with the Clippers who collapsed after leading 3-1 in their semi-final against Denver, certainly did not help Jackson to return to the pleasure of the game, since was reduced to squatting the bench, a total disavowal of Doc Rivers.

“At that time, it was not really clear in my mind that I was guaranteed to play again this year”, Jackson confesses in the LA Times. “It wasn’t guaranteed honestly. The miserable way we lost last season, it felt like we had lost ourselves. Considering how it had ended for us, it wasn’t necessarily an inevitable decision to come back. My mind was elsewhere, I was just trying to get away from basketball. “

After being physically broken with the Pistons, Jackson was this time morally broken with Los Angeles, finishing the playoffs at 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 14 short minutes, far from his standards at 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in career, first as a luxury joker during his Thunder years (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 30 games), then holder in power in Detroit (16 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds in 8 games).

“You wonder if you can do it, if you’re good at holding it up. It tested my mental strength. I no longer knew what I was feeling. I honestly didn’t know what my feelings were for basketball anymore. I felt in the best shape of my career when I was in the ‘bubble’, but unfortunately I was no longer playing. “

At the same time, his teammate and close friend Paul George has also been going through a difficult period, in the ‘bubble’ and again this season. But the two men relied on their friendship to pass the course. On and off the field.

“It was a difficult situation, and I understand, he was arriving in a new team and I was one of the guilty parties to have brought him here”, recognizes George. “It really didn’t go as planned last year, so I understood [ses problèmes]. I didn’t want to add more about his situation. On the contrary, I wanted to give him time to think it over and realize that in the end, it was his decision. But he’s my guy, I know what he’s capable of. He’s one of the best pointers in the league and I wanted him to come back with us. “

Rediscover a taste for gambling

Before signing the contract, Jackson had a lot of talk with one of his two older brothers, Travis. And a lot of introspection. Above all, it was necessary to rediscover the taste for the game. That pure and simple of dribbling, of “shooting” oneself at shooting.

“I found myself dribbling again and having fun shooting. And then I realized that I was missing the season. I was chatting with them about basketball and called my brother to discuss it. I realized that I still had this love for the game. ”

With 34% of success in 3-points on his career, Jackson turns this season to 44%, and even to 47% since the cut All Star. He has never been so precise in his career behind the arc and brings real added value off the bench. Likewise, his speed is an interesting alternative to the rather slow attack of the Clippers, preferably on half-court to target advantageous duels, for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George obviously.

First integrated into a three-back rotation, Jackson found himself again with the wrong role, on the bench, only ten games in the season, Luke Kennard and Lou Williams having the favors of Coach Lue. But things changed thereafter, Lou Will transferred to Atlanta at the “trade deadline” and Jackson gradually taking his ease, with 23 points in 26 minutes to beat Portland, then 26 points, 7 assists to explode the Rockets and finally 29 points, including the winning shot as a symbol, to overthrow his former team in Detroit.

“He was great”, Lue adds. “I think communication is very important to him. He handled it properly. He always remained ready. “

For Jackson, a point guard should be judged by his record of victories, rather than his stats. In this case, the Clippers have a very good record when Jackson holds (25-15). Since the mid-season cutoff, this record even rises to sixteen wins for eight losses.

Above all, he found his smile, his joie de vivre. As Luke Kennard testifies, “Before every game and every practice, he always says to me: hey, man, have fun! “

The renewal since the All Star cut

Present during the great adventure, without a future, of the Thunder until the 2012 final, Jackon did not really leave an unforgettable memory. Steven Adams had not missed it by describing in particular the relief of the entire locker room of OKC after his transfer to Detroit. But the ambitious young player who didn’t only make friends at the Thunder has changed a lot.

“He really developed his game and then, as a person, he really matured”, readily admits his former teammate at OKC, Serge Ibaka. “When he came to the NBA he was so young and now he’s an adult. To see him grow up like that and still play in the league, it’s amazing. “

Caught up by his injuries with the Pistons, Reggie Jackson came back to earth quite hard. His dreams – fantasies – of greatness have given way to a reality, and an approach, much more prosaic. His offseason, lulled with reflection and questions, finally gave him a better appreciation of his daily life with the Clippers.

Again valued in the rotation of Ty Lue, Jackson gladly accepted his role as substitute leader, glue to plug the gaps on the back lines. The failure of the 2012 Finals now comes back to him with a whole different feeling…

“I now understand better how cruel and fragile this business is, and how opportunities rarely come. You can never guarantee good health. We can’t guarantee that the guys will be in the right mental space. We cannot guarantee that the relationships around you will be good. If you feel, if you have the feeling that you can achieve something special, you have to grab it right away. “

At the Clippers in this case, at 31 years old now, Reggie Jackson wants to be part of the revival. He wants to embody the capacity of a collective to renew itself and bounce back after a stinging failure. At 11 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds, he returned to his career figures. In the end, after a long period of doubts, he just became himself again. He can help others again …

“We are becoming altruistic. The more we help raise our brothers, the easier the game will become. “

His season record at 29 points

Reggie Jackson Percentage Rebounds
Season Team MJ Min Tirs 3pts LF Off Def Until Pd Fte Int Bp Ct Pts
2011-12 OKC 45 11 32.1 21.0 86.2 0.3 0.9 1.2 1.6 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.0 3.1
2012-13 OKC 70 14 45.8 23.1 83.9 0.3 2.1 2.4 1.7 1.2 0.4 0.8 0.2 5.3
2013-14 OKC 80 29 44.0 33.9 89.3 0.5 3.4 3.9 4.1 1.8 1.1 2.1 0.1 13.1
2014-15 * All Teams 77 30 43.4 29.9 83.0 0.7 3.5 4.3 6.0 2.2 0.8 2.4 0.1 14.5
2014-15 * OKC 50 28 43.2 27.8 86.1 0.6 3.5 4.0 4.3 1.9 0.8 1.8 0.1 12.8
2014-15 * THE 27 32 43.6 33.7 79.6 1.0 3.6 4.7 9.2 2.7 0.7 3.5 0.2 17.6
2015-16 THE 79 31 43.4 35.3 86.4 0.7 2.5 3.2 6.2 2.4 0.8 2.8 0.1 18.9
2016-17 THE 52 27 41.9 35.9 86.8 0.4 1.8 2.2 5.2 2.5 0.7 2.2 0.1 14.5
2017-18 THE 45 27 42.6 30.8 83.6 0.6 2.1 2.8 5.3 1.9 0.6 2.2 0.1 14.6
2018-19 THE 82 28 42.1 36.9 86.4 0.6 2.1 2.6 4.2 2.5 0.7 1.8 0.1 15.4
2019-20 * All Teams 31 24 41.1 39.3 83.3 0.6 2.4 3.0 4.1 1.9 0.4 1.7 0.2 11.9
2019-20 * LAC 17 21 45.3 41.3 90.5 0.4 2.7 3.0 3.2 2.2 0.3 1.7 0.2 9.5
2019-20 * THE 14 27 38.4 37.8 78.8 0.8 2.1 2.9 5.1 1.5 0.6 1.6 0.1 14.9
2020-21 LAC 62 23 44.8 43.8 81.0 0.4 2.5 2.9 3.2 2.0 0.6 1.1 0.1 10.7
Total 623 25 42.9 34.9 85.5 0.5 2.4 3.0 4.3 2.0 0.7 1.8 0.1 12.6

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