The Pistons may have bitten off a bit more than they can chew by calling out LeBron James and the Cavs in their opening round series, but even if they can’t come back from an 0-2 deficit, just making it into the playoffs was a big accomplishment for Rock City.
It can be argued that the two men who — along with big man Andre Drummond — deserve the most credit for the Pistons’ ascension are coach Stan Van Gundy and point guard Reggie Jackson. Van Gundy has helped structure and develop a young, competitive roster, and Jackson has come into his own as a scorer and playmaker. Although the two have had their issues in the past, it’s clear that they need each other to succeed, and Jackson showed he was able to have a little fun with his head coach when he gave a spot-on impression of Van Gundy’s raspy voice and his tendency to lose his cool every five minutes or so in a recent ride along with Vice Sports.
*Video has some NSFW language*
In addition to a great impression of his coach, Jackson also opened up about his early life living abroad, his close relationship with his brother, and his thoughts on his return to Oklahoma City.
“It was…it was different. You just have so many mixed emotions. It was somewhere where you grew up, that helped you become the man that you are today. At the same time, of course you carry animosity, of course you want to be ‘the guy’ there. Unfortunately, the organization envisioned one thing and I think I envisioned another. I think I prepared myself from day one for the boos and for the hate, it didn’t really bother me too much. It was definitely a trip that I enjoyed making with my teammates just to see how much they took it all personally just because they knew how personal it was for me.”
Jackson certainly has some maturing to do (his poor decision making in the final minutes of Game 1 of the Cleveland series are a primary example), but there’s no doubt he has talent, and if he can continue to grow, Detroit may have a future All-Star point guard on their hands.
