The Pistons came into this week with a modest goal for their summer league team.

?Basically,? said John Hammond, vice president of basketball operations, ?we are hoping to find a diamond in the rough.?

They might have found one.

His name is Horace Jenkins. He is a quick, penetrating, ball-pressuring point guard. If he makes it, Hollywood might come calling looking to make a sequel to ?The Rookie,? the film about a 30-something rookie pitcher named Jim Morris.

Jenkins will be 29 in October, and his story is every bit as compelling as Morris?.

?I hadn?t really seen him play (until this week), and I?ve been really impressed,? said Pistons assistant and advance scout Brendan O?Connor. ?He?s a heck of a pick-and-roll player, and in transition, he has that extra gear. He can really find spots and get to them before the defense can recover.?

The Pistons are looking for a backup point guard with specific qualities. They want a player who has the ability to pressure the ball up court, initiate the offense quickly and break down defenses with dribble penetration.

In short, they want somebody who can complement starting point guard Chauncey Billups? style, which is based more on power and strength.

Jenkins and NBA journeyman Tierre Brown are competing for that spot right now.

?Both of those guys understand how to play the point-guard position,? O?Connor said. ?They both get us into sets quickly and both like to pressure up, which Coach (Larry) Brown loves.?