NBA Playoffs 2026: Daniss Jenkins Emerges as Unlikely Engine of Pistons’ No. 1 Seed
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Daniss Jenkins spent most of this season living on two-way deals and G League buses. Today, the 24-year-old guard is a focal point of the Detroit Pistons’ run to the Eastern Conference’s top seed and a Game 1 victory in the East semifinals.
Jenkins’ latest highlight came Sunday during Game 7 of the first round against the Orlando Magic, when his buzzer-beating three pushed Detroit’s lead to 19 and punctuated a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The win delivered the franchise’s first playoff series triumph since 2008.
Key stretch without Cunningham
Detroit’s faith in the 6-foot-4 guard crystallized in March and April, when MVP candidate Cade Cunningham missed three weeks with a punctured lung. Thrust into the primary playmaking role, Jenkins averaged 18.6 points, 7.6 assists and shot 45% from deep over 12 games. The Pistons went 9-3, clinching their first No. 1 seed since 2007 with an April 4 win in Philadelphia in which Jenkins posted 16 points and 14 assists.
Rapid rise from G League
Undrafted in 2024, the Dallas native joined the Motor City Cruise and produced 21 points and seven assists per game before brief NBA cameos. When Jaden Ivey suffered a leg injury to open the 2025-26 season, Detroit promoted Jenkins, then converted his deal to a standard contract in February.
The guard’s path spans four college stops: Pacific, Odessa College, Iona and St. John’s. Despite All-conference honors in the MAAC and Big East, he went unselected on draft night, a slight teammates say still fuels his on-court snarl.
Trust in closing lineups
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff now pairs Jenkins with Cunningham late in games to shift defensive attention. The combination closed Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers series, where Jenkins’ ball pressure helped preserve a 104-98 victory. He also secured a pivotal fourth-quarter offensive rebound over former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, finishing with 12 points and seven boards.
Adversity and response
Detroit traded Ivey before the deadline, effectively handing the backup-point-guard job to Jenkins. The promotion carried growing pains; between Feb. 9 and Mar. 13 he shot 32% and averaged 5.9 points. Jenkins called the slump “something I had to play through,” and his form returned when Cunningham was sidelined.
Locker-room voices, including wing Ausar Thompson, cite Jenkins’ vocal demeanor and tireless workouts as reasons the transition worked. “Everyone on this team knew he’d be fine,” Thompson said.
Next on the calendar
The Pistons lead the Cavaliers 1-0 with Game 2 set for Thursday at Little Caesars Arena. If Detroit is to reach its first NBA Finals since 2005, the franchise will continue to lean on the former G League call-up who now shares crunch-time duties with its superstar.
Source: ESPN
