Daniss Jenkins has been one of the best stories in the NBA this season for the Detroit Pistons and it may earn him 6th Man of the Year votes.
He got some love from Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe on a recent podcast when both hosts gave him an award they made up called the “1986 Bill Walton Biggest Impact in 20 minutes or less” award, but both agreed he should get consideration for the actual 6th Man of the Year award as well.
Jenkins fits the mold of a true 6th man better than some of the other candidates, and even though his numbers don’t immediately jump out, he has one argument that sets him apart.
Daniss Jenkins kept the Detroit Pistons alive
When Cade Cunningham went out, the pundits immediately dismissed the Pistons as a threat, and they instantly became the trendy choice for a first-round upset.
I’ve had to listen to people who have clearly not watched the Pistons much tell me how Cunningham was basically carrying a bunch of try-hard role players who would fall apart without him.
That message was ignored by Cade’s teammates, who didn’t lose an inch with him out, largely because of the play of Jenkins, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, who has been the best defender on the planet for the last two months.
Jenkins is only averaging 9.5 points and 3.8 assists on the season, but his impact is more accurately defined by what he’s done as a starter. Simmons laid out his definition of a true 6th Man, which is a bench player who can start and carry your team for a few weeks if necessary, which is exactly what Jenkins has done.
Jenkins has averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game in 19 starts this season, and more importantly, the Pistons are 14-5 with him as the starting point guard.
Jenkins has provided scoring, has set up teammates and has played better-than-advertised defense in that stretch, doing his best Cade Cunningham impersonation and helping to keep the Pistons afloat in his absence.
Jenkins has gone from a two-way afterthought who only got a shot because of injuries, to a guy who the Pistons will have to protect or risk losing in the upcoming expansion draft.
It’s funny to me that the Pistons, who have been in first place in the Eastern Conference for all but nine games this season and have never relinquished that spot once they got it, aren’t getting much love for individual awards.
JB Bickerstaff is being overlooked, as is Ausar Thompson and Cade Cunningham is already ineligible, so this could be the best team ever to not win any individual awards.
The thing is, that won’t bother the Pistons at all, as we know it’s Detroit vs. Everybody and that hasn’t changed, but it would be nice to see some of their individual players get rewarded for one of the best regular seasons in team history.