Reggie Jackson's Personal Agenda Hurts Oklahoma City Thunder

Reggie Jackson is a cancer to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At least that is what Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins may think after freezing out Jackson in the latter stages of Monday's 116-85 loss in Brooklyn to the Nets. NewsOK.com's Darnell Mayberry wrote about the "visible frustration" between Jackson and his teammates in the game. 

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By the looks of it, Jackson did more harm than good offensively. Teammates Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins grew visibly frustrated with the fourth-year point guard for not running the offense. On one possession, Ibaka grabbed a defensive rebound and looked off Jackson, who was right beside him, to pass ahead to Telfair. Ibaka then motioned for him to run the offense. On another, Perkins lightly shoved Jackson aside with a forearm and took a few dribbles up the court himself before attempting to pass ahead to Telfair. The decision resulted in a turnover. But it spoke volumes about the frustration and perhaps even friction that was bubbling up on what was a bad night for everybody in Thunder blue.

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I wrote a piece last week concerning the Thunder's unfortunate predicament with multiple injuries, including team leaders Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and noted the need for Jackson to elevate his level of play while the team is short-handed. 

Jackson may be the only playmaker on the OKC roster with Durant and Westbrook sidelined. He has proven over the last two years that he can take the offensive reins and create shots not only for himself, but for his teammates as well. 

But this season, Jackson may have his own agenda. 

The Thunder failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension with Jackson, making him a restricted free agent in the summer. And as NewsOK.com's John Rhode points out, it doesn't seem like Jackson wishes to continue his career in Oklahoma City. 

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The rash of Thunder injuries has been a blessing, in one small way. It's masked the unpleasantness going on with Reggie Jackson.

We're starting to get it. Jackson doesn't want to be in Oklahoma City. Heck, even he said so, in pregame Saturday night.

Jackson was asked if this is the opportunity he's been waiting for, the chance to spend at least a month running the Thunder in Russell Westbrook's absence. Jackson wasn't buying it.

"When I said command a team, I didn't mean be a temporary starter or anything like that," Jackson said. "Just trying to play my role while I'm here."

Wow. We're starting to get the message. Jackson has lost much of his interest in being a Boomer. "While I'm here" is code for "out the door."

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If Jackson really does intend to part ways with the Thunder once free agency hits, then he is probably looking to build his stock price. That could be a good thing for a limping Thunder team that needs his help carrying the load for the next month or so. But as we saw against the Nets, Jackson's selfishness could also be a hindrance to the team's success. 

John Minchillo/Associated Press

To put things into perspective, Jackson has a career average of 8.1 points on 7.3 attempts per game, good enough for a .429 field-goal percentage. In the two games he has played this season, he has averaged 18 points on 17 attempts per game with a .353 field-goal percentage. 

There are two ways to look at those numbers. On a positive note, Jackson is scoring about 10 points more than his career average, which is helpful for a Thunder team desperately seeking offensive contribution. On the other hand, his shooting percentage has dipped substantially by attempting 10.7 more shots per game. 

The Thunder don't have many options right now. Whether because of OKC's need to find ways to score enough to win games or by Jackson's personal agenda of raising his free-agency stock, he will be forced to take a lot of shots in games. 

But that leads to a slippery slope, as Jackson can only take so many shots until he begins to neglect and frustrate teammates. 

The Thunder are already off to a nightmarish 1-4 start to the season with their plethora of injuries. And if the discord between Jackson and his teammates in the Nets game becomes a trend, OKC is in even more trouble. 

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