If you've been watching the Oklahoma City Thunder since meniscus in Russell Westbrook's correct knee ripped apart and put their championship hopes at risk, chances are you've watched one or more moment from his substitute, Reggie Jackson, that made you raise your eyebrows a lttle bit.
How is it that a late first-round pick with the 2011 NBA draft has jumped on the starting lineup of the defending Western Conference champions without missing a overcom?
Essentially he's doing what Jimmy Butler is doing for the Chicago Bulls this year, only instead of using half a season to your job his way into that team's rotation, Jackson was forced to help you double his minutes in the midst of the playoffs.
He's already been impressive, there's no doubtfulness. But how did they suddenly wrestle minutes from Eric Maynor to emerge within the second half of the growing season as a formidable backup, and then jump out being fine starter a few months later?
Jackson's journey to Oklahoma City began issue. As the son of an military man, he came into this world in Italy and spent nearly all of his youth moving around, including short stays inside North Dakota, Florida, Georgia and then finally Colorado.
As is the norm for a player for the reason that athletic as Jackson, he absolutely dominated in high school. Averaging nearly 30 items and eight rebounds for a senior at Palmer Twelfth grade in Colorado Springs, Jackson was named the 2007-08 Gatorade Colorado Boys Basketball Player within the Year.
Jackson's college experience has not been nearly as majestic as his time with Oklahoma City is actually, at least as a long way as team success goes.
The school made that NCAA tournament in his freshman year (2008-09), getting knocked out in the first round by some sort of USC squad featuring Taj Gibson, DeMar DeRozan along with Nikola Vucevic.
By plenty of time Jackson became the full-fledged star in the team in 2010, they were severely deficient defensively, with the team pretty much dependent on his output. Going into his youngster season, he had exceptionally high hopes for his underrated Boston College squad, even seeing it being a potential dark-horse candidate to produce its way into the last Four.
An early-season loss to Yale when Jackson scored 30 tips was exemplary of what the growing season would turn into: flashes of brilliance ultimately causing a disappointing result.
The team won 21 matches, failed to make the NCAA tournament and lost inside second round of this NIT Tournament to Northwestern. Jackson scored just eight points in his final game while using the Eagles.
The spry teen point guard underwent knee surgery in mid-May, and after recovering he have been canceling workouts with teams picking with the lottery and in latter percentage of the first round.
Everybody soon observed the reason; He was already tabbed by Oklahoma Community, and that's where he planned to land (via SI. com's Mike Amick).
Numerous executives are speculating of the fact that Thunder (No. 24 pick) have given a promise to help Boston College's Reggie Knutson, whose camp has waived all workouts and wine basket known that the point guard already possesses an NBA home somewhere. The logic leading them there pertains to Oklahoma City's bigger snapshot. It's believed that the Thunder are be prepared for life without backup position guard Eric Maynor as a result of finances in play.
And, numerous reports indicate that Jackson's representatives refused to express medical records with different teams. Not surprisingly, an executive in team with interest with Jackson told SI. com that "a number of people don't believe they was ever injured" and this numerous teams were put off furthermore his situation was handled.
His first year together with the Thunder was full from garbage minutes, a huge learning curve and the ones continually gushing about her wingspan (his 6'3" frame sprouts arms that measure out to 7'1" from fingertip to fingertip).
Nonetheless, Jackson was stuck in back of Westbrook, Maynor and eventually Derek Fisher the moment the playoffs came around. He racked up 501 a matter of minutes in his rookie season instead of saw the floor with the playoffs.
Just by late December, Jackson experienced nearly made Maynor a tautology in Oklahoma City's rotation, completely switching roles using him altogether from 2012 to help you 2013.
Once Westbrook took place after the second game within the playoffs, Jackson had put in place the minutes as a good backup, but now it's time for him to get tested as a beginner.
He has made a good amount of mistakes in the playoffs to date, there's no doubt with that. However, to claim that he's done anything except an admirable job like Oklahoma City's de facto point guard could be shortsighted.
A lot of Oklahoma City's success throughout all of those other playoffs depends on how well Jackson is able to cope, but a great number of its success so far is using his ability to part of and play.
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