Curious case of Daniss Jenkins leaves Pistons with troubling question

One of the biggest questions hanging over the Detroit Pistons as they gear up for the playoffs is whether Daniss Jenkins is good enough to be their backup point guard on the biggest stage. 

Jenkins has been a revelation for the Pistons this season, a two-way guy who has played his way into a full-time contract. Trajan Langdon has been great on the fringes this season, and Jenkins may be their most important find. 

Not only has he stepped in and won them some games when other players were out, but he allowed Detroit to move on from Jaden Ivey and avoid the headache of his new contract next summer. 

Jenkins has done enough this year to crack the rotation and earn himself a standard two-year deal, but there are still questions that have gotten louder in recent days. 

Daniss Jenkins has stunk since he signed the new contract 

Daniss Jenkins has played six games since being converted to a full-time deal, and things have not gone the way he and the Pistons would have hoped. 

In the last six games, Jenkins is shooting just 34 percent from the floor and a shocking 11 percent from 3-point range after averaging closer to 43 and 38 for most of the season. 

Possibly the most concerning thing is that Jenkins is actually averaging more turnovers per game than assists, not something you want to see from a guy who is supposed to be your backup point guard in the playoffs. 

The good news is that Jenkins has been wildly inconsistent all season, going from red hot to ice cold in a heartbeat, so this could just be a small slump that he’ll bust out of in a big-time way. 

It’s not even the shooting percentages that concern me, it’s the process, as he’s been making poor reads, taking bad shots and generally looking a tad out of sorts as he tries to run the offense. 

You do have to wonder if JB Bickerstaff will tighten his rotation even more when the playoffs come around and whether Jenkins will still be a part of it when he does. 

Hopefully, Daniss will get back to form and find the hot hand at the right time, as he could be one of the biggest X Factors for a team that is desperate for secondary scoring and ballhandling behind Cade Cunningham. 

Right now, Jenkins isn’t providing much of either, but he still has time to right the ship, so he just needs to get his rhythm back, slow down and not force things when they are not there, as the Pistons struggle with turnovers as it is and can’t be getting them from their backup point guard.