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Detroit Pistons player development grades for the season: The Rookies

By Ryan Poling

Jan 30, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks to passes the ball over Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) and center Jalen Duren (0) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks to passes the ball over Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) and center Jalen Duren (0) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Pistons, Jalen Duren
Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /

The 2022-2023 Detroit Pistons Lottery picks

Jalen Duren

Coming in to the league this season, Jalen Duren was the youngest player in the NBA.  Acquired via some crafty moves by Detroit Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver, Duren was originally picked 13th by the Charlotte Hornets before immediately being traded to the New York Knicks. Three is apparently the magic number though, and the Detroit Pistons quickly swapped the Knicks for Duren.

With a roster that consisted of five big men in the off-season (Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III, Nerlens Noel, Kelly Olynyk and Jalen Duren) most did not expect Duren to play that much of a role in the Detroit Pistons rotation. Summer League came and we all saw how NBA ready Jalen Duren really looked, resembling a veteran in both build and intensity. Back then, there were some pretty big question marks over his rebounding prowess, as his effort on the boards in Summer League did not accurately reflect what Jalen Duren would become over the course of the season.

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Jalen Duren averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game in college. Labelled an athletic big man with bounce, analysts were not sure how quickly his skillset would translate to the pros, especially at such a young age.  Some time in the G-League, along with a few seasons to develop were what many anticipated would be the roadmap for Duren. As part of the rotation to begin the season, Jalen Duren quickly endeared himself to fans of Detroit Pistons basketball with his determination, hustle and grit.

The question is, how did Jalen Duren fare this season in regards to development?

The youngest player in the league ended up finishing the season ranked third in offensive rebounds per game. He averaged three and a half offensive boards per game and almost nine total boards per contest. His best outing in a game this season was a whopping 19 rebounds.

On the scoring side of things, Jalen Duren averaged a smidge over 12 points per game while averaging almost 65 percent from the field. He even had a monster 30 point game in there, as well as a few other 20 point contests. He even flashed some passing ability over the course of the season as well as showed hustle on the defensive end as a rim protector.

While some say Jalen Duren resembles a mini Dwight Howard, and is projected to become a classic big center, the league is taking notice. Even Paul George had something to say about this whole deal in a recent interview.

What else can we say here except that Jalen Duren looks to be a solid long-term piece for this Detroit Pistons team.

Season Grade: A+

Duren looks to be a big part part of the foundation to this young Detroit Pistons core. He is ahead of where anybody thought he would be when drafted. In a way, Jalen Duren exemplifies what many think of when images of Detroit Pistons basketball come to mind.

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