The Detroit Pistons started two-way guard Daniss Jenkins in their preseason loss to the Cavaliers while Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser watched from the bench. The Pistons gave Jenkins extended run to get a look at him running the offense, and he got mixed results.
Jenkins scored 19 points with six assists, with some nice passes and takes to the hoop. Jenkins looks the part of an NBA point guard at times, which is nice to know in case of emergency. But he also had five turnovers, including two bad ones, adding to a problem that has plagued the Pistons for years.
I saw some immediate reaction to Jenkins from fans, many predicting he’d be a part of the Pistons rotation at some point, but I’d pump the brakes on that notion.
The Pistons know what they have in Marcus Sasser
Jenkins played a team-high 35 minutes last night as the Pistons got an extended look at what he can do against NBA competition.
Sasser not playing is more of a sign that the Pistons know what they have and are comfortable with what he will bring to the rotation.
Sasser, Jenkins and Chaz Lanier figure to be battling for those fringe guard minutes, and as of right now, that spot is Sasser’s to lose, as he’s already proven he can handle NBA minutes.
However, the Pistons do have to make a decision on Sasser’s team option by the end of the month, so whether he is part of the long term plans is still up in the air. If the Pistons don’t exercise his option, which they may not, Sasser’s future with the team looks murky, as he could be included in a midseason trade or even moved for extra draft assets at some point.
For now, he’ll likely be the 10th man in the rotation, so I wouldn’t read too much into Jenkins getting a start in the preseason, as it’s more of a sign of the Pistons’ comfort level with Sasser.
The Pistons will potentially have three young players with tenuous contract situations if they can’t come to extension agreements with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren and decide to pass on Sasser’s team option.
Let’s hope this doesn’t end up being a distraction for a young team, especially considering all three guys are going to end up in trade rumors if they go into the season without deals.