Through 15 games this season, neither Jaden Ivey nor Marcus Sasser have been healthy enough to play a single minute for the 13-2 Detroit Pistons. 

Earlier this week, the Pistons announced that Ivey was assigned to the G-League’s Motor City Cruise as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, so the fourth-year guard at least has a short-term path back to the Detroit lineup. Sasser, on the other hand, is dealing with a hip impingement that has caused a bit more unpredictably in his return date.

In the absence of Ivey and Sasser, the Pistons have turned to an unlikely candidate in second-year two-way guard Daniss Jenkins to fill their role, and he’s performed so admirably that he may have bumped one of the two out of a job. Over the past four games, Jenkins is averaging over 20 points and seven assists per game, and he’s done so in a combination of roles. In one game, Jenkins was starting in place of an injured Cade Cunningham. In the next, Jenkins played off the ball next to Cunningham in the Detroit backcourt, and he found a way to flourish in a complimentary role next to the Pistons’ All-Star.

Now, the Pistons have considerable plans for Ivey this season given how productive his 2024-25 campaign was before breaking his leg. Yes, that means Ivey is essentially recovering from two consecutive injuries right now, but the explosive scorer averaged north of 17 points per game last season, and he offers a pace of play with some outside shooting that would slot in well with the Pistons this year. Ivey’s position in the lineup is not necessarily in jeopardy yet but Sasser’s may be.

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Heading into this season, the Pistons did not make an offseason move to replace point guard Dennis Schroder, so it’s feasible that Detroit expected Sasser to make the jump as a ball handler and distributor to become the team’s backup point guard. Sasser has already proven an ability to score and create off the dribble, but his decision making could improve and that’s an area he’s needed to work on in order to seize that role on the second unit.

With Sasser out of the lineup, Jenkins has had a chance to show off his floor general instincts when called upon, even posting an 18-point, 12-assist performance in a win over the Chicago Bulls recently. Jenkins has executed the pick and roll with Duren smoothly, and that’s important given how much the Pistons have relied on that play to spark scoring opportunities. 

To go along with his offensive skills, Jenkins brings a determined mindset with a high propensity for hustle plays. This mentality carries over to Jenkins’ defense as well with a trio of two-steal efforts in the last five games, including one lockdown four-steal performance tucked in the mix. 

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For such a young player, Jenkins has shown the composure needed to initiate offense during crunch time, and he’s relatively trustworthy with the basketball. Jenkins only has one game with more than three turnovers, so he’s played efficient basketball even with a massive uptick in minutes lately. 

From a fit standpoint, Jenkins offers all of the components that are necessary in a dependable backup point guard. That’s the very role the Pistons likely had in mind for Sasser before the season started, so it will be intriguing to see if Detroit continues to turn to the rising two-way player once Sasser has returned to full health. 

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