Oklahoma City point guard Reggie Jackson made his season debut for the Thunder.
Jackson has made it well kmown that he wants to be a starting point guard and he does not see OKC being his home to realoze that goal, saying after a shootaround recently
“just trying to play my role while I’m here.”
Well, with these aspirations you can imagine that Jackson will want to prove to potential suitors he’s ready to run a team and he took that opportunity vs Brooklyn on Monday in his season debut.
He played selfishly at times in his season debut at Brooklyn on Monday, putting on a one-man show and what seemed to be a dribbling exhibition designed to search for his own shot. He finished with a game-high 23 points but took 20 shots. Perry Jones and Serge Ibaka, the next two highest shot takers, had 12 and 11 shot attempts, respectively. Jackson had five assists but committed five fouls and seven turnovers.
Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins grew frustrated with Jackson by the third quarter. Both big men began freezing out their point guard, refusing to pass him the ball to lead the break following defensive rebounds.
After the game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks even publicly criticized Jackson for not moving the ball.
As a restricted free agent next summer, OKC can match any offer Jackson receives but will they spend $12 million a year for a back up point guard? Will teams open their wallets if they see this selfishness as a habit? Who is more in the wrong here, Jackson or Ibaka and Perkins?