Two Detroit Pistons were singled out for the value they’ve provided this season
The Detroit Pistons have kept a firm grip on first place in the Eastern Conference for six weeks now, and the team has done so in an aggressive fashion that does not mimic other contending squads. The Pistons win with defense and a deep bench, and that considerable depth landed two Detroit players on a recent list of the 15 most valuable contracts in the NBA according to ESPN NBA analyst Bobby Marks.
There were several stipulations on this list– essentially, a player needed to make less than $3 million per year and could not have played more than six seasons as a pro. That cut the potential pool of players down substantially, but the Pistons fared quite well with a pair of players on the potential squad.
First, Pistons point guard Daniss Jenkins made the squad by virtue of his two-way contract and sensational play as a spot-starter earlier this season. Jenkins has become a nightly member of Detroit’s rotation of late and has stepped in as a steadying presence in Motown.
“During a five-game stretch in November, Jenkins became one of the NBA's better stories when he averaged 20.2 points, shot 50% from the field (44% on 3s) with 7.6 assists," Marks wrote. “In the Pistons' Nov. 10 win against Washington, Jenkins had 24 points and forced overtime with a 3-pointer. Three games later, he scored a career-high 26 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers.”
In order for Jenkins to stick in the NBA all season long, the Pistons will have to massage the roster a little bit, likely waiving Isaac Jones to open up the requisite roster spot for the young guard.
Jenkins was joined on the list by first-year Piston Javonte Green, and he received a positive evaluation from Marks in the piece of high-value, low-cost players.
“Green is the journeyman of the All-Value Team,” Marks wrote. “After going undrafted out of Radford in 2015, Green played internationally in Spain, Italy and Germany before signing a two-year contract with Boston in 2019. Since then, Green has spent time with the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors, the Bulls again, the Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This season with Detroit, the 32-year-old guard had consecutive 20-point games in November during the Pistons' franchise-record 13-game win streak. In three starts, Green has averaged 13.7 points and 8 rebounds.”
Green has played a key role off the bench for the Pistons since coming aboard this season. Usually deployed as part of Detroit’s second unit, Green has a good feel for the game and can speed up the pace quickly with his turnover-causing defense and proclivity to jump on the fast break.
While his counting stats do not jump off the page, Green is the type of player with the composure to make game-winning plays when the clock is winding down, and he’s been an important piece as the Pistons have climbed to a 22-6 record so far this season.
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