‘He’s a total pro’: Get to know Sixers guard Reggie Jackson through the eyes of a Nuggets reporter

The 76ers’ busy offseason has slowed down. They pulled off the NBA’s splashiest free-agency move by luring perennial All-Star forward Paul George away from his hometown Los Angeles Clippers on a max contract. They also added important complementary players — and brought back key members of the 2023-24 team — in hopes of contending for a championship.

With the roster all but set, The Inquirer reached out to reporters with insight on the Sixers’ newcomers.

Next up is Chris Dempsey, who covered veteran point guard Reggie Jackson as a Denver Nuggets reporter and analyst for Altitude Sports.

» READ MORE: Paul George in, Tobias Harris out: Projecting the Sixers’ rotation after a busy offseason

A: So, I’d best describe his time with the Nuggets as much more positive than negative. In that first year, when he arrived off the buyout market, he did struggle to find consistent accuracy with his jump shot. But I always attributed that to two things. First, being back in Colorado, where he played in high school, he probably put too much pressure on himself to perform at a high level right away. Friends and family in the stands, and a fan base that was well aware of one of their own coming home can do that to a player. Second, he simply needed a full offseason and training camp to understand the Nuggets’ style of play — where his shots were coming from, constant switching on and off the ball depending on who was out there with him.

His usage from game to game could be vastly different. But in the full season, he put a lot of that together. When Jamal Murray missed games early in the season, Jackson was stellar, putting up starter-esque numbers in his absence. And when he fell out of the rotation in that first season, he was a stabilizing, galvanizing force in the locker room and in practices. He put in tons of work behind the scenes, and was a leader in how to be a supportive teammate even as his own minutes were drastically reduced. Never complained. Just accepted the role until his number was called.

A: I’d say a backup ballhandling role, where there isn’t pressure to score every night, is ideal. Jackson has said he knows his big-minute days are behind him, but he has a lot of value as a reserve point guard — say, 15-20 minutes — who will pop in a 15-to-20-point game when you really need it if the minutes are longer on a particular night.

» READ MORE: Get to know Sixers center Andre Drummond through the eyes of a Bulls beat writer

A: This is tough to say, because the star players’ main mode of action is so different. You have to play with great movement all the time around Jokic, because the first thing he’s looking to do is set a teammate up for an open shot. And while Embiid did average a career high in assists last season, his greatest value remains as a focal point scorer with the ability to play-make if need be. So, I’d think around Embiid, Jackson’s ability to be a great catch-and-shoot player is important, and he nailed 40.1% of his catch-and-shoot threes in Denver last season.

A: He’s a total pro. He understands how to take care of himself for the long haul. Last season was only the second time he’d played all 82 games in his career, and he did so at over 22 minutes per game.