Detroit Pistons: Important over/unders for the centers

Detroit Pistons: Important over/unders for the centers

Jalen Duren: +/- 8 rebounds per game

Fans who want Duren to start right away are probably going to be disappointed, but I do think he’ll end up getting plenty of run by the time the season is over.

One area Duren is going to have to improve is rebounding, as he only averaged 3.3 per game in Summer League and just eight per game in college even though he was often the biggest and most athletic guy on the floor.

He has shown a lot of motor and will on the offensive end, but not so much on defense, where he is often flat-footed for rebounds and doesn’t have great pursuit of the ball. This is something the Detroit Pistons are going to be working on, as Duren has the physical tools to be a dominant rebounder, which is important, especially on the defensive end, as rebounds close out possessions and set off fast breaks.

Duren may not get a ton of playing time right away, but when he’s in there he needs to show that he can rebound at a hight rate, which is a skill that will keep him on the floor and get him more minutes, especially he is also catching lobs and blocking shots like we expect.

This number is probably a bit high, but when you consider Cade Cunningham averaged 5.6 rebounds as a guard, it’s not unreasonable, even for a backup.