Daniss Jenkins had the opportunity of a lifetime in Thursday's preseason finale against the Wizards to earn his way onto the Pistons main roster. He played his backup point guard role beautifully and has likely solidified his spot in the Pistons rotation to start the season. He played a well-balanced game and elevated his teammates exactly how a backup point guard should.
Dannis Jenkins: Ideal backup point guard?
Jenkins finished the game with a solid stat line in 17 minutes: 11 points (4/7 from the field and 1/1 from three), 3 assists and 2 steals. He was efficient scoring in his opportunities, but did not dominate the ball too much for his teammates to shine. Instead, Jenkins often attacked off the catch or spotting up - scoring skills that will make him a great complementary piece to support more talented players.
When Jenkins was in the game, he helped settle the offense and provided a pressure release valve for developing Pistons ball handlers such as Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II. He was also supportive in his off-ball screening, which freed up Holland at least twice for easy rim finishes. Jenkins also reliably fills lanes that help his teammates get easier looks, even if he knows he won't get the ball. That sort of unselfish play is sure to win Jenkins some brownie points with the coaching staff and shows his maturity on the court.
Unlike some previous outings, Jenkins was able to cut down on his turnovers in this game and finished with two total. He arguably made up for those two by forcing two on the other end with his steals. Jenkins was overall solid in his defense, holding his own against his man and providing help as a smaller guard. Forcing turnovers and running on the fastbreak will be a core part of the Pistons identity this season, so it's good to see even a small guard in Jenkins contribute defensively.
After Jaden Ivey's injury timeline was announced, Pistons fans immediately scrambled for ways to fill in his spot in the rotation. Ivey was not only the starting shooting guard, but also slotted as a likely frequent option at backup point guard. At least for the first month of the season, some minutes have now opened up at that position.
Jenkins is not in the clear on claiming all backup point guard minutes just yet. Third-year guard Marcus Sasser hopes to fill that role and be more of an on-ball playmaker this season. Sasser played in just two preseason games, with limited uninspiring minutes in both. He's dealing with a nagging hip injury and may also be limited to start the season.
With the Pistons' current injures to their guard rotation, Daniss Jenkins will have to step up and play significant minutes as the team's backup point guard to start the season. Although the team circumstances are not ideal, Jenkins is set to make the most of his opportunity. He can prove worthy of getting a regular rotation spot even after all the Pistons return to full health.