{"id":132665,"date":"2026-05-18T00:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T03:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/for-daniss-jenkins-the-detroit-pistons-embody-his-basketball-journey\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T00:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T03:34:19","slug":"for-daniss-jenkins-the-detroit-pistons-embody-his-basketball-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/for-daniss-jenkins-the-detroit-pistons-embody-his-basketball-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"For Daniss Jenkins, the Detroit Pistons embody his basketball journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

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CLEVELAND \u2014 Two years ago, former St. John\u2019s guard Daniss Jenkins was preparing for a 2024 NBA draft he ultimately wasn\u2019t selected in. Tonight, the Detroit Pistons guard is expected to start in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.<\/p>\n

A win tonight for Jenkins sends the Pistons to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2008 and adds another chapter to his Cinderella story.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just one of the situations where if you work hard, you believe in God and your circle is right, the sky is the limit,\u201d Jenkins, 24, told Andscape after scoring 15 points in the Pistons\u2019 series-saving 115-94 win in Cleveland on Thursday. \u201cAnything is really possible. No matter what route you take, no matter how many obstacles you got to go through, as long as your end goal never changes, [and you] leave life the right way, God can bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenkins\u2019 college career was a winding one. Lightly recruited at Dallas Hillcrest High School, he began his college years at mid-major Pacific University with then-head coach Damon Stoudamire. After two seasons at Pacific, he went the junior college route to Odessa College back in Texas then to Iona College to play for legendary coach Rick Pitino. When Pitino left for St. John\u2019s a season later, Jenkins followed, spending his final season of eligibility in the Big East. <\/p>\n

The 6-foot-4, 165-pounder averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game during the 2023-24 season for St. John\u2019s but went undrafted.<\/p>\n

Jenkins said he chose to sign a two-way contract with the Pistons over two other NBA teams. He played in only seven games as a rookie with Detroit during the 2024-25 season. <\/p>\n

But he solidified himself as an NBA player this year by averaging 9.3 points and 3.9 assists per game in 72 games. In February, the Pistons rewarded him with a two-year contract with a team option for 2026-27. Jenkins has already proved worthy by averaging 8.5 points per game in the playoffs and scoring a combined 34 points in the past two games.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis story is crazy,\u201d Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham said about his fellow Dallas native. \u201cWhen I first met him, he was at Pacific, and he had three more stops after that to finish out college. He was a big-time player though. I met him at open run with some pros. But he was a player.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could shoot the mess out the ball. He can score still, [despite] being skinny. Me and him were some of the younger guys there. But he could really play and he was fearless.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following is a Q&A with Jenkins in which he talked to Andscape about overcoming the long odds of making it to the NBA, his confidence in himself, the impact Pitino had on his career, advice he would give to undrafted NBA prospects, taking advantage of the opportunity given to you, playing in Game 7 and much more.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s the best way to describe your college basketball journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just think I just kept getting better every year. I just kept trying to go to the best position that I possibly could put myself in. My end goal was always the NBA. I knew I always had talent, especially for my position. I knew I was athletic. I played both sides of the ball, defense and offense. I know my mentality. I just had to be pushed by the right people. Every coach I came across in college was perfect for me.<\/p>\n

Did the NBA seem like a realistic dream when you started at Pacific and then went to a junior college?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, if I\u2019m being honest with you. At Pacific I knew I was doing good, but I knew I could keep getting better. So, that kind of led me to believe it could be done. I was being talked about in good ways and my coaches [were] telling me good things. I really saw what I could be better at.<\/p>\n

What confidence did Pitino instill in you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

He always told me I\u2019m going to get my [NBA] shot from the [team] workouts. Once I\u2019m in front of those teams and I\u2019m working out, he said that\u2019s where they\u2019re going to pick me up. He said don\u2019t worry about my stats. This was when I was at Iona before we left to go to St. John\u2019s. That was before that. He just told me, don\u2019t worry about no stats, worry about me. The only thing that matters is winning and I\u2019m going to get my opportunity from the workouts.<\/p>\n

I knew I could make it to the NBA. I\u2019m telling you honestly, for real, man. I\u2019m not just saying this. I really knew that my end goal never changed no matter where I went in my job. God just put me in the right positions at the right time. Pitino was who I needed last to prepare me for stuff.<\/p>\n

What was the day of the 2024 NBA draft like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I knew realistically that I probably wasn\u2019t going to get drafted, especially the first day. So, when the second day came, I thought it was a possibility just because I was looking at all the guys that was left and I knew I was better than them. But I was just like, whoever gave me the chance, I knew they weren\u2019t going to regret it.<\/p>\n