The Whiteboard: Reggie Jackson has become instrumental for the Clippers

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When you think of the current LA Clippers, you probably think of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George first and foremost. You think of how they’ve been a cursed franchise that has yet to reach the conference finals next, followed by new head coach Tyronn Lue, Serge Ibaka’s injury, Nicolas Batum’s Lazarus act this year and Luke Kennard’s contract quietly burning a hole in Steve Ballmer’s pocket.

Somewhere, maybe 10th or 11th on the list, is Reggie Jackson.

If that’s the case, the list may be in need of an update, because over the last few weeks, Jackson has been nothing short of instrumental to the Clippers’ success in the NBA Playoffs — a sentence no one ever thought they’d read here in 2021, the year of our Lord.

Through 15 playoff games so far, the Clippers have predictably been led in scoring by Leonard’s 30.4 points and PG’s 25.9 points per game. Their third-leading scorer? None other than the 31-year-old Jackson, who is averaging 15.8 points a night while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and canning 43.5 percent of his 7.1 long-range attempts per game.

If that weren’t enough, his plus-6.5 point differential is third on the roster this postseason, trailing only Batum (plus-9.7) and Terance Mann (plus-7.5). The Clippers have also been 11.0 points per 100 possessions better than their opponent whenever Jackson is on the floor; when he sits, that number plummets to 0.5.

Of course, part of that is the byproduct of playing with the starting unit, which still comes as a surprise to many with Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo representing steadier, more playoff-proven options. But Lue has kept his faith in Jackson, who started in 43 of his 67 games this year. And against all odds, that trust is paying off on the big stage.

None of this is terribly surprising for those who followed the team all year. Jackson was productive during the regular season, averaging 10.7 points and 3.1 assists in just 23 minutes per game while posting efficient .450/.433/.817 shooting splits.

But nobody expected those numbers to really carry over into the postseason, let alone as a starter for a team that considers itself a championship contender. That’s why Game 5 was so revealing, because as much as Paul George’s 37 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists were obviously the main story, it was Jackson who hit timely, clutch buckets to stave off the Utah Jazz’s comeback attempts down the stretch. For a good five-minute span in the middle of the fourth quarter, he scored or assisted on 13 straight LA points, helping turn a 3-point lead into an 8-point advantage they were able to maintain the rest of the way.

Jackson finished his night with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, logging 32 minutes in a do-or-die playoff game on the road for a title contender.

Imagine reading that sentence to a Detroit Pistons fan three years ago.

While it may seem like recency bias to glorify this latest game and ignore his 4-point, 2-for-4 shooting night in LA’s Game 4 win, it’s worth noting that Jackson’s only failed to reach double figures in the scoring column in three of the team’s 12 playoff outings so far. Two of those games were complete duds in that department, but he also played fewer minutes in all three.

For the most part, he’s hitting timely, backbreaking shots to make Utah pay for all the attention its defense is giving Leonard and George, and even with Kawhi out on Wednesday, Jackson still managed to step up and throw gutpunch after gutpunch. He’s become a source of clutch offense, whether it’s hitting down big-boy 3s as a catch-and-shoot threat or taking the Defensive Player of the Year to the cup.

How long will this out-of-body experience last? Only time will tell. History indicates that trusting Reggie Jackson — healthy or not — in a playoff series typically doesn’t bode well for one’s championship odds. Should LA advance to face a team like the Phoenix Suns that’s playing its best basketball of the season, there’s a good chance “Mr. June” will come back down to earth.

But if he’s able to stay outside of the reach of gravity for awhile longer, he may be able to push the Clippers within orbit of their first-ever Western Conference Finals. For a team that has to take it one game at a time with its best player sidelined by a knee injury, Los Angeles will ride this Reggie Jackson hot streak for as long as it lasts.

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