The Detroit Pistons are off to a phenomenal start to the 2025-26 season, currently holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Their success is of course largely predicated on the play of top performers like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. However, over the course of the last few games, the hot shooting and confidence of Daniss Jenkins has also proven to be paramount.
On Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls, Jenkins started his first game of the season and finished with 18 points on 9-for-19 shooting, along with a team-high 12 assists. This of course coming just one game after he erupted for 24 points in an overtime win over the Washington Wizards. While the Pistons have been a bit shorthanded, he has been exactly what they've needed.
With Cunningham and Duren out of the picture against Chicago, Detroit was in need of a reliable shot maker, and Jenkins' strong play is suggesting that he can absolutely provide the kind of "next man up" scoring necessary for this team to continue thriving. It's this strong stretch that should give Pistons fans confidence in his ability to be a truly valuable depth piece that will only further strengthen this roster moving forward.
Daniss Jenkins is a great success story for this team
Of course, the really encouraging piece here is the efficiency. There are a lot of players that could put up impressive scoring numbers with huge volume. They might miss a lot of shots in order to get their 20 points. But Jenkins is shooting efficiently in moments that matter, and that points to more reliable impact over the course of a season.
For a team that's still developing its identity, having a role player step up and show they can make an impact in multiple phases of the game goes a long way toward this team becoming the best version of itself. Jenkins played most of last season in the G League, only appearing in seven games with the Pistons. He has worked hard to earn this moment, and now all the hours are paying off.
The best case scenario you can have for a team that has big post-season aspirations is internal improvement. Making some kind of big name accusation or blockbuster trade is always good in theory, but it always comes at more of a cost than seeing your homegrown guys take a step up and become the best version of themselves. Daniss Jenkins is a great success story, and he's only going to help Detroit achieve more as a team.