Reggie Jackson Taking Advantage of Westbrook Injury, Proving to Be a Star
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson wants to be a star, and he's proving his capability in acquiring that label.
Jackson's aspirations of being a starter have been clear since the midway point of last season. His reasoning: He won't fulfill his childhood dream of being the greatest as long as he's a bench player. (Hat tip to NewsOK.com's Anthony Slater for the quote.)
"Every day I woke up at 5 in the morning in high school, getting shots up and I never said I wanted to be a bench player," Jackson said last December. "I always woke up to be the greatest."
To furthermore emphasize his desire of becoming a starter, Jackson failed to reach a contract extension agreement with the Thunder in late October, making him a restricted free agent in the summer. After all, his chances of becoming a starter are minute with All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook wearing the same uniform.
And even though the fourth-year Thunderer has been with the same franchise for his entire NBA career, he dropped a subtle hint of an imminent departure prior to OKC's home opener against the Denver Nuggets, as NewsOK.com's Darnell Mayberry reports:
"In the final hours of those failed negotiations (for a contract extension with OKC), Yahoo! Sports reported that Jackson is determined to find a starting role in restricted free agency next summer. The report went on to say that Jackson could command a salary in the $13 million to $14 million range.
At a shootaround before the Thunder’s home opener last Saturday, Jackson even hinted that he might not call Oklahoma City home for much longer when he said he is 'just trying to play my role while I’m here.'
"
With a looming free agency in mind, Jackson looks to capitalize on his opportunity to showcase his value in his final contract year with the Thunder.
In a somewhat similar role to James Harden's tenure with the Thunder, Jackson has been OKC's sixth man with high amounts of athleticism and shot-creating ability. He showed he can stuff the stat sheet in stretches throughout the last few years, but his inconsistency and lack of experience in a starting role left more to be desired.
But based off Jackson's performance so far this year, he will be one of the most sought-after players on the market once free agency hits.
With Westbrook being sidelined after the second game of the season against the Clippers, Jackson has been given his shot at running point with the first team.
Whether by coincidence, Murphy's Law or however, Jackson stumbled into a dream-come-true scenario. It's not every day that backup players get the chance to market themselves as starters prior to free agency. But Jackson has been given that chance and so far, he's taking advantage.
Since assuming the starter role at the 1 spot—six games thus far—Jackson averages 22.8 points on 43.1 percent shooting, as well as four rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.
The numbers are pretty impressive, albeit seven games is a small sample size. But how do those numbers compare to a star-labeled point guard like, say, Westbrook?
Westbrook has season-high per-game averages of 23.6 points on .457 percent shooting (2011-12 season), 5.7 rebounds (2012-13) and 8.2 assists (2010-11).
Jackson's numbers stack up pretty close to the best season averages of Westbrook's career. Still, this juxtaposition might be misleading by comparing Jackson's stats in a six-game span to those of Westbrook's entire seasons.
However, that's not to take away from the impressiveness of Jackson's play, which has him ranked amongst NBA point guards as second in PPG, 19th in field-goal percentage, 11th in RPG and sixth in APG.
Let's take a look at Jackson's stats compared to those of high-profile point guards so far this year, per Yahoo! Sports. (Note: Stats updated through Nov. 12)
| Player (Team) | PPG | RPG | APG |
| Reggie Jackson (Thunder) | 22.8 | 4.0 | 7.5 |
| Chris Paul (Clippers) | 16.0 | 5.3 | 10.3 |
| Tony Parker (Spurs) | 19.1 | 2.1 | 4.7 |
| Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) | 19.8 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| John Wall (Wizards) | 20.0 | 3.8 | 9.0 |
| Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) | 22.0 | 5.0 | 2.8 |
By the way, Jackson told reporters at the Thunder's media day in September that he wants his name mentioned in the same breath as high-level point guards like Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving.
Ask and ye shall receive, Reggie.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, Jackson's new perception around the league will more than likely lead to his exit from OKC in the summer.
The team that snags Jackson will have two things to offer: a starting slot and money. The Thunder are wary of giving up either.
Westbrook will never lose his first-team role with the Thunder as long as he's healthy, and deservedly so. And it can be argued that Jackson could start at the 2 for the Thunder in the coming years, but it's highly unlikely since head coach Scott Brooks likes to occupy that position with a defensive specialist.
Thabo Sefolosha started for OKC at the 2 for about five seasons, not because of his scoring, but because of his long, lanky frame that posed problems for opposing players on offense. And now, Andre Roberson—with a similar frame to Sefolosha—is expected to take over that role as he has been prepped for the position since the end of last season.
As for the money, the Thunder will not be comfortable spending the amount Jackson wants. Jackson likely took note of Eric Bledsoe's free agency very closely this past offseason, knowing it would reveal much of his own market value. Bledsoe ended up agreeing with the Phoenix Suns to a five-year deal worth $70 million, an average of $14 million per year.
With the infamous Kevin Durant free agency approaching in 2016, money will be tight for the Thunder organization. It is unlikely Jackson—making just over $2 million this year—would get an offer from OKC anywhere close to Bledsoe's deal with Phoenix.
But for now, Jackson reps the Thunder blue. He's an important piece to the roster, especially right now with Durant and Westbrook sidelined for the next several weeks.
The short-handed Thunder will have to find ways to stay afloat in the standings until the return of their All-Stars. That shouldn't be a problem if Jackson continues to dominate. He said he wants his name mentioned amongst the best, and that will happen if he can maintain his star-caliber level of play.
All stats retrieved from ESPN.com unless noted otherwise. Follow @JaredPorter_BR on Twitter for more Thunder news and analysis.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
