On Monday night, the Pistons pulled out a narrow three-point win in overtime against the Washington Wizards, and the victory represented a crystal clear example of a game that previous iterations of the Detroit team wouldn’t have won. 

Detroit entered the home game on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Pistons were heavily shorthanded with six key rotational players out of the lineup due to injury. Thanks to a myriad of injuries, Detroit was without Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser and Caris Levert for the Eastern Conference tilt. So, the Pistons had to make due with a contingent of role players who were suddenly thrust into serious playing time in the most crucial moments.

To that degree, Pistons point guard Daniss Jenkins stepped up the most with 24 points on the night, and it was the second-year two-way player’s clutch corner three-pointer with time expiring in the fourth quarter to force overtime that truly defined his major performance on Monday.

READ MORE: Cade Cunningham Named Eastern Conference Player Of The Week

“Do you see the way they were able to compete down the stretch?” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff asked after the game. “There's a grit to them. There is a toughness to them. I couldn't be more proud of their effort, and again, down as many bodies as we were after a tough game last night, a team sitting here waiting on us fresh, down 13 in the fourth quarter. We had plenty of times where we could have given it up and just got ready for Wednesday, but that's not the nature of this group. Just to see the way we did it and how many different people contributed, and that's what we talked about– our identity is together, and everything that we do is together.”

Knowing the rigors of an NBA season, Bickerstaff has fostered an environment in which the Pistons prepare each player on the squad to perform under the bright lights if called upon. Throughout the offseason, the Pistons prepped Jenkins with a healthy dose of minutes in the Summer League, and Jenkins continued to impress during the preseason for Detroit as well. 

“We wanted Daniss on the floor because we know the work that he puts in,” Bickerstaff said. “You think about the Houston game down there when he came in the fourth quarter, he hit a big shot. So, he's earned it, the respect of his teammates, the trust of his teammates and all the coaches as well.”

Splitting time with the Motor City Cruise in the G-League, Jenkins is a speedy point guard who has showcased a steady outside jumper and the ability to weave in and out of traffic in the paint in pursuit of his shot. Jenkins can run the offense or play off the ball, so he’s a versatile guard that can handle the ball and set up the offense when needed.

Cade Cunningham’s 46-Point Triple-Double Pushes Pistons Over Wizards In Overtime, 137-135 Detroit kept its winning streak going in a dramatic OT contest against the Wizards

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, Jenkins has already used at least 10 games of NBA eligibility, 11 if Monday’s victory over Washington is included, this season, so it’s trending towards the possibility that Jenkins will have his contract converted to a standard NBA deal sometime this year. 

Either way, the Pistons are benefitting from Jenkins’ floor general ability in his spot-duty serving as Cade Cunningham’s backup while Sasser recovers from a right hip impingement.

After this, Jenkins and the Pistons will take on the Chicago Bulls at home on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 pm. 

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