Daniss Jenkins may end up being one of the simplest ways the Pistons can change the feel of a game next season.
Detroit already leaned on speed in stretches last year, and the numbers backed it up. The Pistons finished sixth in fast break points per game, using their defense to create early offense.
When they got out and ran, they were at their best. And even when the break wasn’t there, they still looked sharper when they attacked before the defense could get settled.
The problem came once the game slowed down. Detroit’s half-court offense lagged behind its transition work, and the team shifted from a run-first identity into a much more deliberate style with Cade Cunningham in charge. Cunningham’s game naturally brings patience; he is never in a rush and uses his strength to get where he wants on the floor.
That’s where Jenkins comes in. As Cunningham’s primary backup, he is expected to bring something different when he takes over. The ask is straightforward: push the pace, play with urgency, and give Detroit a second-unit engine that doesn’t let possessions drag.
That doesn’t only mean sprinting for layups. It also means getting into actions early in the shot clock, avoiding wasted dribbles and keeping the ball moving.
Jenkins had a tendency to overdribble in the half court last season, and that’s exactly the habit he needs to clean up. If the lane isn’t there, he has to move it along and keep the offense flowing.
The fit around him could help. Jenkins is likely to share the floor with players such as Isaiah Joe, Ron Holland and Paul Reed, which gives him chances to create early offense in transition and to keep pressure on defenses even when the break isn’t there.
Detroit’s roster is deep enough that JB Bickerstaff could use 10-12 players in the regular season, and Jenkins needs to embrace that reality by turning the second unit into a group that plays fast and forces opponents to keep up. Last season, the Pistons’ bench did a good job creating chaos and speeding games up, but things got messy when they had to organize in the half court.
That’s the opening for Jenkins. If he can control the tempo and attack quickly, he can give the Pistons the change of pace they were missing when the game bogged down.
In Other News...
Pistons Fans Have Every Reason To Revisit The Saddiq Bey Trade
The Saddiq Bey deal still hangs around the Pistons like a decision worth revisiting, even two years later. Detroit moved the former first-round pick in a five-team trade in 2023, bringing James Wiseman back in the package, and at the time it was framed as part of a larger reset around the roster and the front offices idea of where the team was headed.
Beys path since then has only sharpened the debate. He missed an entire season after the move because of injury, then resurfaced in New Orleans and showed real scoring value as a wing who can do more than just stand in the corner. For Pistons fans, it is the kind of trade that invites the same uncomfortable question every time a former young player breaks through elsewhere: whether Detroit moved on too soon, or simply caught him before the best version of his game arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Duren's Contract Standoff Is Taking A Risky Turn
Jalen Durens contract situation has moved into uncomfortable territory as the deadline to accept the Pistons qualifying offer draws near. The bigger issue is not just the negotiation itself, but the signal that has started to leak out around it, with reports suggesting the young center is giving serious thought to taking the one-year deal rather than settling the matter long term.
ESPNs Marc Spears also reported that Duren feels disrespected by Detroits offer, though that sentiment has not come directly from Duren himself. For the Pistons, the noise matters because this is the kind of standoff where public pressure can shape the next move, and the use of media leaks from the agent side has only added another layer of tension to a process that already felt risky. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons New Look Sparks The Identity Debate Fans Know Too Well
Nike has rolled out a new Specter Edition collection for eight of the NBAs oldest franchises, setting off the usual mix of curiosity and side-eye that comes anytime a team gets a fresh alternate look. The line will show up in warmups, practices and travel next season, with the jerseys set to be formally introduced later in the fall after a preview appeared at a recent Nike runway event.
For the Pistons, the new concept fits right into a franchise that has spent years juggling nostalgia, modern branding and the constant tug between looking forward and honoring what came before. Any new Detroit uniform always invites a bigger identity conversation than most, and this one should be no different once fans get a full look at the design and start debating whether it lands as a sharp refresh or another chapter in the never-ending style argument. [Read more 🡒]