The Detroit Pistons have lost 60+ games this season, so there haven’t been many bright spots. But one of them has been rookie Jalen Duren, who has exceeded most expectations and looks like the center of the future even though he’s the youngest player in the league.
That’s why it didn’t make a ton of sense when the Pistons then went out and traded for James Wiseman, though Troy Weaver has since explained his mindset that the team needed to get bigger.
Duren was moved to the bench in a move no one really saw coming and the Duren vs. Wiseman debate was born. There are many of us who believe Duren is the superior talent and should be starting, but there is also an argument that the Pistons need to see as much of Wiseman as possible, as he is up for an extension this summer.
That’s fine for now, but going into next season, the Detroit Pistons need to make Jalen Duren a priority, and one current NBA star agrees.
Detroit Pistons: Paul George loves Jalen Duren
In a recent episode of the Podcast P show with Paul George, the NBA All-Star had high praise for Jalen Duren, who he called a “baby Dwight Howard.”
It’s certainly not the first time that comparison has been made, as Duren came into the league with similar size and athleticism.
George went on to talk about Duren’s strength and had some funny things to say about trying to move him, which proved impossible. You can see the whole clip here.
But the part that really stood out to me was at the end, when George talked about how many bigs the Pistons have and how that could be a problem.
"“I just hope they don’t stunt that kid’s growth, because he’s going to be a big-time player. He’s only 19, he’s got the size, he’s got good feet, he can move…”"
Duren’s overall minutes have gone down since being removed from the starting lineup when Wiseman arrived, but I don’t think I’d go as far as to say his growth has been stunted, as they’ve been sharing minutes and he’s still been effective off the bench.
But this could be an issue moving forward, as the Pistons have two young big men who will be battling for minutes and Troy Weaver seems very high on James Wiseman.