It's pretty remarkable. Presuming Jackson continues his rate of assists to Drummond, it would be the second highest total of assists to one player in the league behind only Chris Paul to Blake Griffin.Despite being tossed straight together mid-season with a roster that wasn't necessarily built around them, the duo thrived. It's exciting to think what more might be in store with a full summer to work together and continuing to build a roster that fits.
So what makes this work in ways that others haven't?
There are two keys: Jackson's ability to score in a variety of ways in the paint and his size.When the point guard comes off Drummond's screen, he's faced with a balancing act. He has to be aggressive in attacking Drummond's man to occupy the defender. He has to act quickly enough to prevent his man from recovering and allowing the opposing center to switch back to Dre. But he also has to be patient enough to allow Drummond to slip behind the defense for the alley oop.Jackson masters this act, but his skillset helps him do so. Most point guards the Pistons have had during Drummond's tenure have had some paint skills. Augustin was a strong finisher and a surprisingly nifty floater, Brandon Jennings offered some craftiness in creating space for jumpers, Bynum was ferocious getting to the basket - but none even come close to the variety that Jackson brings.
Jackson can attack and finish over seven footers with either hand, he has nice touch on his floater, can step back and knock down the 10 foot jumper reliably. The 3-10 foot range doesn't tend to be an efficient spot on the court for most point guards. Augustin and Jennings shoot 28 and 32 percent respectively from their career from that area. Jackson's career mark is 43 percent. He's about as good as anyone in the league in that area.
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