LA Clippers: 3 things to watch for versus the Indiana Pacers

2. What to watch for from the LA Clippers: Can Reggie Jackson continue to shine?

On Friday night, both Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams missed time. The former was out due to personal reasons while the latter was suffering left hip discomfort. In their place, Reggie Jackson took over the starting point guard spot after having been cut out of the rotation just a few games ago.

According to the team’s injury report, Beverley will be back but Williams is still listed as questionable. Given the matchup, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sit out at least tonight to make sure he is at 100%. If he does, Jackson will again be part of the rotation.

Assuming he is, Jackson will need to play like he did on Friday night. He scored 11 points, dished out 3 assists, and pulled down 4 rebounds. He was 3 of 6 from deep and never looked like the out of control, shot happy Jackson that so many Clipper fans worry about.

If he is playing like that, Jackson may just earn his way back into the rotation. Sure, he’ll be with the second unit again tonight if he plays, but Reggie should still be deferring. Sharing that unit with Marcus Morris and Luke Kennard, Reggie should just pick his spots instead of seeking out the opportunities. He is an elite catch-and-shoot player, connecting on 52.6% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities this season. He’s only behind Leonard and George in that stat.

Jackson can show Ty Lue and the coaching staff that he still belongs in the rotation if he can keep the same type of play up from Friday. He’ll get a good opportunity to do so tonight.