Two St. John's alumni are turning heads in the NBA's opening week, with Daniss Jenkins emerging as a genuine spark plug off the bench in Detroit and Julian Champagnie quietly building a case for expanded minutes in San Antonio.
Jenkins: The Pistons Have a Problem-Solver
If the first week of the season is any indication, Daniss Jenkins is ready to make Detroit's guard rotation genuinely competitive. The former Red Storm point guard put together his best showing of the young season on Saturday, dropping 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in just 22 minutes as the Pistons rolled past the Heat 128–111. His plus-minus of +14 was the kind of number that makes coaches reconsider rotations.
It wasn't all smooth sailing. In a Tuesday matchup against the Celtics — a 121–113 Pistons win — Jenkins was quieter, finishing with 3 points and 3 assists in 15 minutes. But the efficiency held, and Detroit came away with the win. The throughline across both games: Jenkins doesn't force the issue. He makes the right pass, defends with purpose, and leaves the floor with the score moving in Detroit's direction.
Through two tracked appearances this week, Jenkins is averaging 9 points, 4 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and a combined +18 in plus-minus. For a team still rebuilding its identity, that's the kind of low-ego production that wins locker rooms fast.
Champagnie: Defense First, and That's Enough
Julian Champagnie's stat lines won't pop off the page — but look past the points and there's a player doing real work for the Spurs. On Saturday against the Rockets in a narrow 110–114 loss, Champagnie logged 25 minutes, scored 6 points, and racked up 3 steals. His +7 on the night stood out on a team that finished on the wrong side of the final score.
His Wednesday outing against the Thunder was rougher — an 8-point, 3-steal, 3-block performance in a 104–116 defeat, with a team-context-driven -24 that reflected a rough night for San Antonio broadly. Still, the defensive versatility was on display: three blocks and two steals in 30 minutes from a shooting guard is not a typical line.
Champagnie is carving out his role on the wing the same way he has throughout his career — defending multiple positions, moving without the ball, and hitting enough shots to stay on the floor. With the Spurs in a long-term build around Victor Wembanyama, consistent contributors who don't create problems are exactly what the coaching staff needs.
The Rest of the Red Storm
Zuby Ejiofor saw spot minutes for Atlanta in a blowout win over Charlotte (3 points, 2 rebounds, +8 in 8 minutes), and Bryce Hopkins logged a single minute in Denver's loss to Oklahoma City. Neither has broken into meaningful rotation time yet, but the week is early — and both remain on rosters, which is a roster spot in the NBA.
The St. John's alumni class isn't headlining any marquee story — but Jenkins and Champagnie are doing exactly what role players are supposed to do: make winning easier without demanding the spotlight.
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