Former St. John's star Daniss Jenkins thriving with Pistons and playing with a chip on his shoulder
The Pistons' Daniss Jenkins reacts after a second-half three-point basket against the Knicks on Jan. 5, 2026 in Detroit. Credit: Getty Images/Gregory Shamus
You could have had me.
Daniss Jenkins sets out to send this message every night he steps out onto an NBA court. That’s because every team in the NBA passed on the former St. John’s point guard in the 2024 draft, a fact that many now are surely regretting after watching the breakout year he is having with the Detroit Pistons.
“I’ve said it was insanity. I felt there weren’t many guards in my position in that draft class that should have been taken over me,” Jenkins told Newsday in an interview Wednesday as his team prepared for Thursday’s game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. “I decided I was going to take it personal for the rest of my career.
“I already had a big chip on my shoulder my whole life. That just added to the fire for real.”
The Pistons have been the best team in the East all season and Jenkins has been an unlikely but important contributor.
After going undrafted, Jenkins signed a two-way contract with the Pistons but played in only seven games with the NBA team his rookie season. Jenkins again began this season in the G League, playing on a deal that paid him only $85,000 and put a limit on how much he could play with the Pistons.
A spate of injuries to Pistons starters opened the door for him to get decent playing time, and in November he made the leap to SportsCenter when he hit a corner three at the buzzer to force an overtime win over the Wizards. Four days later he scored on a 52-foot bomb from beyond halfcourt at the end of the third quarter against the 76ers.
Former St. John's guard Daniss Jenkins reacts during the Big East men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2024. Credit: Getty Images/Sarah Stier
Having consistently provided the Pistons with some much-needed scoring off the bench, Jenkins has become a regular member of the team’s rotation and was rewarded with a two-year standard contract earlier this month.
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino is not surprised by the determination that Jenkins has shown in Detroit. It was that kind of fire and drive that he first recognized in Jenkins when he plucked him out of a junior college in Odessa, Texas, and coached him first at Iona and then at St. John’s, where he was the Red Storm’s leading scorer in 2023-24.
“Daniss came in as a junior college player and really didn’t know how to play the game as a point guard,” Pitino said recently. “He listened to every little thing, every little thing, and made himself a great point guard. Then, on top of it, his intensity is amazing, his leadership is amazing and he’s just a sponge to get better. It really is exciting to see this.”
Jenkins credits Pitino for giving him the tools he needed to make his way in the NBA.
“He’s one of those people that taught me a lot and showed me what it meant to win and be a professional,” Jenkins said. “I knew being with him for the last two years of my college career were going to give me the best chance to become a pro.”
Jenkins is looking forward to playing the Knicks Thursday night for several reasons. Having played there when he was at St. John’s, he loves playing at Madison Square Garden. He also loves playing in big games and the third-seeded Knicks are a team that also fancies themselves a contender.
Finally, Jenkins said he gets up to play any team with a guard who was drafted instead of him in 2024, which includes the Knicks with Tyler Kolek, who was taken with the 34th pick of the draft by Portland and immediately traded to the Knicks.
Kolek and Jenkins have a history of being rivals dating to their Big East days when Kolek played for Marquette. In their most recent meeting, Jenkins came out on top, scoring 18 points in the Pistons’ 118-80 blowout of the Knicks in Detroit. Kolek had five points in 19 minutes off the bench.
“I just like to take everything personal,” Jenkins said. “That’s my biggest thing and that’s my mental edge.”
A mental edge that he believes suits the Pistons.
“I think everything that happened [after] not being drafted was a blessing,” Jenkins said. “This organization mimics who I am. It’s a team built on grit. That’s me.”
Newsday’s Roger Rubin contributed to this story.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
