As of Monday morning, the Detroit Pistons have a 4.5-game lead over the No.2 seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
With three weeks left before the end of the regular season, that should give them enough cushion to feel good about their chances of home-court advantage throughout the first three rounds of the NBA postseason. While they have little to worry about their playoff seeding, the Pistons' injury list is growing, giving fans some concern heading into April.
Cade Cunningham's absence is well-documented. The star guard remains sidelined with a collapsed lung and doesn't have a timetable to return. Isaiah Stewart is dealing with a calf strain and will miss his fifth straight game on Monday against the Lakers.
On Friday, Marcus Sasser and Kevin Huerter were added to the injury report with hip strain and shoulder contusion, respectively, forcing them to miss the win against the Warriors.
While Huerter is off the injury report, Sasser was once again ruled out 24 hours in advance of Monday's clash with the Los Angeles Lakers. This doesn't bode well for his outlook, especially considering that the dynamic guard missed the first 23 games of the season with a hip injury.
This, of course, puts even more on Daniss Jenkins' plate.
Daniss Jenkins Will Be Pistons' Go-To Guy Down the Stretch
The 24-year-old guard has already taken the mantle as the starter in Cunningham's absence. If Sasser is unavailable going forward, Jenkins will be the only true point guard in the Pistons' rotation. He will play as many minutes as he can handle and will have a very large offensive role. How well he does in the remaining 12 games of the regular season will be crucial for both Detroit's and his future.
Before Cunningham got hurt, Jenkins had briefly lost his rotation spot, earning a DNP-Coach's Decision against the Raptors last week. His struggles from the field had cost him the role he had worked so hard to earn all season.
Now, with Cunningham and Sasser out, Jenkins can win back or lose his role permanently.
Whether Jenkins will play a big role in the playoff rotation when Cunningham returns will depend on how well he plays over the next few weeks. Friday's win over Golden State was a good start as Jenkins had 22 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists on 7-of-12 (58.3%) shooting from the field in 38 minutes of action.
If he can replicate that production while keeping the Pistons afloat, Jenkins should be able to earn back head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's trust. Delivering in Monday's home clash against the Lakers, who have won nine in a row, would be a great start.