The Pistons' controversial trade of Jaden Ivey has already paid dividends in an unexpected way: more clear playing time for Daniss Jenkins. With the trade, the Pistons established Jenkins as their backup point guard going forward and he proved his worth in a dominant performance against the Knicks. Jenkins helped the Pistons demolish the Knicks by scoring 18 points in just 18 minutes en route to a 38 point blowout.
Daniss Jenkins is the Pistons' best guard off the bench
Jenkins has traveled a very different path from Ivey but it's been clear all season long that he was the Pistons' best backup guard. Despite being a two-way player between the Pistons and G-League affiliate Motor City Cruise, Jenkins has quickly hit his 50 games of NBA eligibility. Now, the Pistons front office will be forced to convert him to a standard contract so that he can play in the playoffs. It will be arguably a bigger addition than even a blockbuster trade could conjure.
His breakout gave the Pistons confidence to trade away Ivey and hope to add more shooting back in return. Compared to Ivey, Jenkins has been better in all facets of guard play this season. He's been a better shooter (39% from deep) and playmaker, but also better at attacking the rim too. As Ivey's athletic burst has disappeared, Jenkins can still use his crafty handle and deceptive quickness to get by defenders.
Jenkins is clearly more of a natural point guard than Ivey, who's not the same willing passer. That playmaking ability is key for the Pistons in their bench unit, which lacks a go-to scorer. Between his blend of fearless and scoring and intelligent passing, Jenkins has secured his spot in the Pistons rotation over former lottery picks and veterans despite going undrafted himself.
His defensive intensity also fits into the Pistons' team culture well. When he's on the court, Jenkins is very aggressive in passing lanes and against ball handlers. He works well with the Pistons' other defensive wrecking balls off the bench to shut down opposing backup units.
Now that the Pistons have used up all of Jenkins' two-way eligibility, they will need to convert him to a standard contract ASAP. He's far too valuable to the team's play on a game-to-game basis to leave him waiting over contractual disputes. Jenkins previously declined a 2-year minimum deal, but he's shown his worth beyond that number already.
If the Pistons can secure Jenkins to a long-term deal, they've found another key member of the young core for years to come. He's a perfect complement to Cade Cunningham who can either back him up or play alongisde him. And he fits the Detroit spirit perfectly.