Reggie Jackson shows signs he might be close to full strength

Reggie Jackson has struggled at times since his return to the the Detroit Pistons’ lineup. On Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks, we saw signs he may be back to full strength.

Reggie Jackson has had a bit of a cold start upon his healthy return to the Detroit Pistons‘ active roster. After missing the preseason and first 21 games of the season, Jackson retook the starting point guard position from Ish Smith, and it hasn’t been a flawless return.

Through his first five games, the Pistons went 2-3 and Jackson shot just 35.4 percent from the floor, scoring 12.2 points and giving out four assists per game in an average of 25 minutes. Understandably, when you’re going up against a league full of players who have been in game shape since the beginning of October, it’s going to take a while to get yourself back to speed.

Reggie Jackson showed some signs that he’s nearing getting back to his old self on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. He rode a strong fourth quarter to finish with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding six assists and two rebounds.

The Pistons struggled at times with the feisty Mavericks, but they took over in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 35-21. In the fourth quarter alone, Jackson played 10 of his 30 minutes, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, adding three assists and hit three of his four free throws.

It’s too early to declare Reggie Jackson is back at the top of his game, but this is the best we’ve seen him look. It’s also promising to see Jackson have his best performance in the fourth quarter, meaning his cardio and legs are better than they’ve been so far this season.

Thanks to the strong fourth quarter Jackson and the Pistons had, Reggie Jackson now has a +32.3 net rating in fourth quarters this season. Admittedly, this is a small sample of just six games, but the Pistons have been good in the final period of games thus far, and Jackson’s reputation as a closer is well earned.

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