When the news came out that Reggie Jackson would miss at least the first month of the season with knee tendinitis, the immediate reaction from Detroit Pistons fans was predictable: how is the offense going to score? Jackson plays a critical role in Stan Van Gundy’s system, spending a large amount of the ball in his hands while exerting energy getting into the paint to get to the rim or find open shooters.
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Jackson’s replacement, Ish Smith, has the speed and quickness to replicate some of that, but Smith is an NBA journeyman for a reason.