One of the biggest questions lingering over training camp is how the Detroit Pistons are going to use Jalen Duren to start the season.
Duren will be just 18-years-old and is currently the youngest player in the NBA, so there has been ample speculation that he might not start the season in the rotation and may even spend some time in the G-League.
Jalen Duren didn’t look 18 when he made his Summer League debut, as he often looked like the biggest, strongest guy on the floor and showed he has some skills (shot blocking, catching lobs) that will play right away.
Of course Duren still has to improve in many areas, but there are signs that he may be ready to go now and that he will be in the rotation to start the season.
Detroit Pistons: Nerlens Noel is not ready
When the Pistons acquired Nerlens Noel and Jalen Duren at the same time, it was thought that Noel would probably get the nod as the backup center and that Duren would be brought in later in the season after getting more practice and perhaps even some time in the G-League.
But Noel isn’t ready to go, didn’t participate in training camp, and this is after playing only 25 games last season. His injury could put Duren into the rotation, and it’s something the that the Detroit Pistons definitely knew about when they traded for Noel.
Trading Kelly Olynyk
The Detroit Pistons traded away some of their center depth when the moved Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee to the Utah Jazz for Bogdanovic.
The Bogdanovic trade coupled with the fact that the Pistons likely knew Noel wasn’t going to be ready, shows that they are comfortable starting the season with Duren in the rotation, as they really don’t have any other options for a third center.
It’s possible that they still would have made this trade, as it was a huge win for Detroit, but I think it also shows some amount of confidence in the young center.
Jalen Duren in the open practice
Jalen Duren not only played in the open practice, but he was the starting center in the second unit, playing in the front court along with Isaiah Stewart.
This was just a practice, so it doesn’t mean that Duren will have this spot once the season starts, as coach Dwane Casey may decide to use Stewart and Marvin Bagley III as the primary centers, with Duren getting some minor minutes off the bench.
But if he uses Beef Stew as the backup power forward as he did in the open practice, then we might see Duren as the backup center, especially in matchups where Casey is trying to maximize his defense.
This was confirmed by a recent interview with Troy Weaver who said he thought the 18-year-old Duren was mature beyond his years and ready for the NBA right now.
It’s starting to look more and more like we’ll see Jalen Duren in the rotation right away, which is great news for his development and the future of the Detroit Pistons.