TWO GUARDS — ONE JOB
TWO GUARDS — ONE JOB
Despite the 60-win season and a run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Detroit Pistons had clear holes to address on their roster. Their lack of on-ball shot creation outside of Cade Cunningham nixed their title run. To take the next step, they have to learn to score in the half court. Per NBA.com, the Pistons were seventh of 16 playoff teams in offensive rating (110.4). That offensive rating would equate to 27th in the league during the regular season.
Detroit hasn’t made a blockbuster trade yet. Instead, it has decided to keep relying on drafting and development. The two players competing for the Pistons backup point guard job are also the two players who could unlock the team’s true potential moving forward.
Is Ebuka Okorie the Steal of the 2026 NBA Draft?
The most aggressive move the Pistons made to address those woes came in the NBA Draft. Detroit traded up four spots to No. 17 to select Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, who led the ACC in scoring and ranked seventh in the nation. Beyond his scoring, Okorie is a point guard at his core. As a freshman, he had an assist-to-turnover ratio nearing 2-to-1 (111 assists and 58 turnovers).
On paper, Okorie has all the signs of a productive NBA guard. His NBA fate lies in his ability to thrive as a small guard in a long, athletic league. Stanford listed him at 6-2. The NBA’s own draft profile lists him at 6-1 and 186 pounds, and at that size he will not be bullying anyone in the paint anytime soon.
I asked Trajan Langdon on draft night whether Okorie would have an opportunity to be a significant part of the rotation, and the Pistons’ president of basketball operations was noncommittal. “Well, we’ll see. He’ll compete, right? That’s going to be more up to how he develops and what JB thinks and how our team rounds out,” Langdon said. “That’s hard for me to comment on right now, but I’ll tell you what, he’s going to bring everything every day.” There is a lot to see before reaching that conclusion, but if the Pistons did indeed find a steal in the first round, it could change their trajectory dramatically.
Don’t Ever Count Out Daniss Jenkins
Perhaps the most overlooked storyline of this Pistons era has been the development of Daniss Jenkins. Being overlooked and thriving in the shadows has been Jenkins’ story since he started his college career at Pacific, a long way from the Big East. He spent a season in junior college at Odessa College before coaching legend Rick Pitino found him, recruited him to Iona, and then brought him to New York when he got the job at St. John’s.
Despite averaging 14.9 points and 5.4 assists per game at St. John’s, with an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 2-to-1 (179 assists, 80 turnovers), and despite being named second-team All-Big East, Jenkins went undrafted in 2024. He earned a two-way contract with the Pistons right away, appearing at the NBA level for only 23 minutes of his rookie campaign. His second season? He played 1,773 minutes between the regular season and the postseason, and in February the Pistons converted him from the two-way deal to a standard two-year contract.
The season as a whole was full of high highs and low lows for Jenkins. He dropped 30 points on the Lakers in March and has flashed the ability to score from all three levels. Those flashes, however, would come and go. Some nights he was on fire, and on two others he shot 3-for-16 from the field. He had done more than enough to earn that standard contract. But what his role is going forward depends on his consistency. Lots of NBA players can have great shooting nights. Few, however, have consistently good ones.
The Pistons Backup Point Guard Job Is Just the Start
It’s most likely that Okorie and Jenkins will be competing for minutes to start, specifically for the backup point guard spot. There is reason, however, to believe that they can thrive on the court together as well. Both are exceptional point guards who take care of the basketball. And assuming Okorie’s jump shot translates to the NBA, they both have the ability to space the floor.
Combine that with Cunningham’s size and ability to play inside, and a group that can play together unlocks new possibilities offensively. The Pistons didn’t go further because of their lack of shot creators and the limited adjustments at their disposal. If they can depend on both Daniss Jenkins and Ebuka Okorie, the Pistons could turn into a contender. At the very least, they can hope that competition fuels development for both of them.
Follow Sean Murphy on social media @seanhalfcourt and subscribe to the From Half Court podcast at www.youtube.com/fromhalfcourt