With Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook falling victim to a growing trend of star players sidelined with injuries, his teammate Reggie Jackson has a prime opportunity to show what he can do as a starter for the Thunder. And this first round series against the Houston Rockets will present the perfect pace for Jackson to thrive in.
Jackson, now in his second season with the Thunder after being drafted 24th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, took on a larger reserve role this season and eventually became Oklahoma City’s main back up point guard after Eric Maynor was traded away at the deadline. Now that Westbrook will be missing the first games of his career due to a knee injury, Jackson will be needed to step in to the starting lineup and assume a larger role than ever before.
This season, Jackson has made strides to improve his game, and averaged a modest 5.3 points and 1.7 assists while playing just 14.2 minutes per game. But when his statistics are projected to more playing time, Jackson averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 assists and six rebounds per 36 minutes played, which would be solid numbers if he can produce at a similar level in the postseason.
The Rockets point guard counterparts of Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley shouldn’t be too difficult for Jackson to match up with, allowing him time to adjust to his more significant role without being too overwhelmed. Jackson won’t be expected to contribute anywhere near the same level that Westbrook did, but if Jackson can put up double digits in scoring without turning the basketball over at a high rate, he will do just fine for and help the Thunder remain a top contender to come out of the Western Conference this season.
