Now that training camp is underway, Daniss Jenkins met with the media to share his perspective on the upcoming 2026-27 campaign
Throughout most of last season, his first taste of real NBA basketball, Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins mentioned during Media Day that he was mostly concerned with improving and keeping his head above water.
As a former G-Leaguer, Jenkins had to work hard for his shot at the top level. Every basket is tightly contested and assists are harder to come by in the NBA, but Jenkins has a sense of belief that allowed the former St. John’s floor general to find his rhythm during the 2025-26 campaign.
Jenkins was a key piece to the Pistons squad that secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference after winning 60 games in the regular season. At times, Jenkins was asked to step in for Cade Cunningham as the All-NBA First Teamer recovered from his collapsed lung after the All-Star Break, but there was no stage too bright for Jenkins, who noted that he hit his very first shot in the playoffs.
But after that, Jenkins went cold in his first game against the Orlando Magic. After posting 9.3 points and 3.9 assists per game in the regular season, Jenkins went 1-for-7 for six points and two assists in his playoff debut. Still, the second-year guard showed the resilient portion of his character and pushed through. Eventually, Jenkins lodged a key 16-point contribution in game seven to help the Pistons advance to the next round of the postseason.
But last year’s team was built on defensive ruggedness and rim protection. In order to catch an edge, the Pistons had to create turnovers defensively that made their life easier going the other way with the transition game. But after adding a slew of three-point shooters during the offseason, Jenkins recognized that the squad will have a new feel this year.
“Our identity is a little different,” Jenkins said. “We’ve got a different team. You’ve got more guys that can shoot it and stretch the floor, skill-wise it’s different.”
While the Pistons were dominant during the regular season, the Motown squad was forced to grapple with their perimeter inefficiency during the playoffs once the Magic and subsequently the Cleveland Cavaliers collapsed defensively to clog the paint on Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
“I think this year, you should see a lot more shot making,” Jenkins said. “We should make a lot more shots, and we should be more efficient. I don’t really keep up with the stats, but I know that we weren’t shooting it good from the three last year all throughout the season, so I definitely think it should be different from that standpoint and people should be more efficient.”
As Jenkins alluded to, the Pistons finished just 17th in the league for three-point shooting percentage across 82 games last season, but there is a sense of optimism around the organization that their summer business may have quelled this issue.
Apart from the team’s prior shooting woes, Jenkins added that he has personally worked on finishing at the rim, in the paint and during off-the-dribble sets from three-point land, so he should contribute to a sharper-shooting version of the Pistons once they’re back in action.
