The Detroit Pistons have an excellent opportunity in front of them on Saturday afternoon. Heading into Cleveland with a commanding 2-0 lead, the Pistons could essentially end the series against the Cavs with another win.
That may be easier said than done, as the Cavaliers have yet to lose a home game in the playoffs and will treat this game as a win-or-go-home situation. They will play their starters as many minutes as they can handle and play with more intensity than they did all series. The Cavs will almost certainly come out strong and try to punch Detroit right away. If the Pistons can withstand the initial wave, they have a chance to steal the game.
Daniss Jenkins will be the player to watch in Game 3
Daniss Jenkins will play as big a part as any Piston not named Cade Cunningham in Game 3. He has been an important stabilizing factor for Detroit in recent games, which has resulted in an increase in his playing time.
Starting with the second half of the Orlando Magic series, JB Bickerstaff has been playing Jenkins significant minutes next to Cunningham. Jenkins gives the Pistons another ball-handler and shot creator, taking the load off of Cade. In Game 7 against Orlando, he had 16 points and five assists in 29 minutes. Over the last two games against Cleveland, he averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while only turning the ball over twice.
In these last three games, the Pistons won the minutes Jenkins was on the floor by a total of 22 points.
The reason Jenkins will be the X-factor, however, is less about his offense but more about his defense. While it's obviously his offensive game that gets Jenkins on the floor, it's his defense that determines how long he can stay out there.
So far, Jenkins has done a very good job being a net positive on that end of the floor. Even though he has had to guard James Harden or Donovan Mitchell at times, Jenkins has more than held his own. And when he isn't taken advantage of on that end, Jenkins can be a true difference-maker with his offensive juice.
It has been a balancing act all season and the playoffs for Bickerstaff to find enough offense without sacrificing the team's defensive identity. A backcourt duo like Harden and Mitchell provides a unique challenge as teams need at least two elite perimeter defenders to guard them. If the Pistons have to have Ausar Thompson or Ron Holland on the floor at all times for this reason, this would really hurt their offense.
Fortunately, Cunningham has done an excellent job on Harden for most of the series, and Jenkins has been very solid defensively. This has allowed Bickerstaff to play more offensive-minded lineups and keep his defense-first players on the bench for longer. If Harden and Mitchell can't take advantage of Pistons lineups that have Jenkins and Cunningham on the floor, Detroit will have a massive edge in the series going forward.
The more minutes Jenkins plays on Saturday, the better the odds of the Pistons taking a 3-0 lead. This will be an important storyline during the crucial Game 3.
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