Frank Jackson walked to the podium last Tuesday with a giant grin on his face.
The Detroit Pistons guard couldn’t contain his excitement after playing his first NBA game in nearly a month.
“It’s great to see you guys,” Jackson said, addressing the media. “I’m proud to wear Detroitacross my chest, and I just wanted to thank you guys. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so appreciate you guys.”
A sprained ankle and a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols forced Jackson to miss 13 consecutive games from Dec. 29 to Jan. 23. He returned on Jan. 25 against the Denver Nuggets. His face during his postgame press conference told the story.
After more than three weeks of isolation and rehab, nothing felt better than being back on the floor.
Thanks toa strong season on a two-way contract, Jackson has established himself as one of Detroit’s most important players. He started the season cold but his last 15 games, he’s averaging 14.5 points while shooting 46.4% overall and 38.1% from 3-point range.
Jackson kept it going during Thursday’s 128-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading the Pistons with 25 points off of the bench. He’s thriving in his role as a spark plug for a team that’s often struggled to score the ball.
“He knows who he is,” Dwane Casey said. “Some guys, they don’t understand who they are. They think they have about two minutes to warm up to get going. And Frank doesn’t have to have that. That’s the trait of a scorer, a guy can come off the bench and get you points. That’s very, very important. You’ve gotta have somebody to come in and keep the scoreboard moving, or advancing, and he does that for us. He does a great job at it.”
Jackson has a tough job that might appear simple. He doesn’t get the luxury of working his way into a rhythm. He always has to be ready.
Jackson rescued the Pistons from disaster Sunday, and saved them from a blowout on Thursday. The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their game against Detroit earlier this week with a 15-0 run.
The momentum flipped when Jackson began shooting.
He scored 13 points in the first quarter, making all four of his shots, including three 3-pointers, and contributed 15 points to a 28-14 run that enabled the Pistons to cut the deficit from 15 to one. Detroit ended up winning the game, 115-105.
With Cade Cunningham absent from Thursday’s contest against the Timberwolves, Jackson led the Pistons with 25 points. The Pistons trailed by 16 in the fourth, but a 3-pointer and four-point play by Jackson late in the fourth quarter helped cut the margin to five. He also helped the Pistons overcome an early 10-point deficit by scoring nine points in the first.
Jackson has essentially been Detroit’s Wayne Ellington this season. Ellington was the Pistons’ best shooter a year ago, knocking down 42.2% of his outside shots.
Ellington is one of several shooters Jackson has taken cues from. During his third season while still with the New Orleans Pelicans, he learned under JJ Redick. Jackson understands the effect his shooting has and the importance of shooting without hesitation. He knocked down 40.7% of his 3’s last year. He’s only shooting 32.9% this year, but his 38.1% mark since Dec. 8 is fourth on the roster.
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Jackson was drafted 31st overall in 2017, but missed his entire rookie season due to two surgeries on his right foot during the offseason. He shot 31.4% and 32.6% from 3 during his first two seasons in New Orleans and spent a few weeks with Oklahoma City during camp and preseason in 2020-21 before signing a two-way deal with the Pistons. He was a rotation fixture by the end of the season and signed a two-year extension.
This is the biggest role Jackson has had in his NBA career, averaging a career-high 22.5 minutes.
“I was just talking to my (player development) coach, Alex Zampier, one of the best people I know, about how the game’s starting to slow down,” Jackson said. “I’m starting to sit back, let the play develop a little bit and it’s really allowed the game to slow down. It’s my fifth year being around some really awesome talents and really awesome coaches who helped me to get to where I am. So, all glory to God on this one, and I’m just lucky to be here and you know, got to keep rolling.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.