Jalen Duren has been a force since joining the starting lineup for the Detroit Pistons.
He’s averaged a double-double in that role and shown skills that are way ahead of schedule for a 19-year-old who happens to be the youngest player in the NBA.
You wouldn’t know it by watching him, as Duren is often the biggest and most athletic player on the floor, just ask the San Antonio Spurs, who Duren dropped 30 on the other night in a double overtime win.
Duren may have had a little extra motivation after the Pistons traded for James Wiseman and reports leaked that they planned to use him in as a starter. That doesn’t mean that Duren is going to the bench, as it’s far more likely that the Pistons use both the young bigs after Troy Weaver revealed that he felt the Pistons needed to get bigger to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Duren’s big night against the Spurs wasn’t just the best game of his career, but put him in the record books in some elite company.
Detroit Pistons: Jalen Duren joins LeBron James
Duren’s 30 points and 17 rebounds made him the second-youngest player in NBA history to hit the 30 points/15 rebounds mark behind all-time scoring leader LeBron James:
Jalen Duren is the second-youngest player in NBA History with 30+ PTS and 15+ REB in a game.
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2023
The youngest was LeBron James.
30 PTS, 17 REB, 4 BLK for @JalenDuren pic.twitter.com/ZsZ17AMoCI
In fact, Duren became one of only four teenagers in NBA history to have such a game, joining James, Moses Malone and Paolo Banchero.
It’s not only wild that Duren made this kind of history himself, but that two of the four players in league history to achieve this feat were in the same draft class.
Jaden Ivey has rightfully gotten a lot of hype this year for the Detroit Pistons, but Duren may end up being the steal of the draft, as he fell to 13th and looks like one of the top-5 players from his class, though it is still very early in their young careers.
One thing is for certain: Duren is better than advertised as a passer, and though most of his shots have been dunks, he’s been showing nice touch around the rim lately and even knocked down a few fadeaways in the lane.
His ceiling is higher than “just” another Andre Drummond, especially on offense, which has to have Pistons’ fans excited.