Over or under? Statistical goals for the Detroit Pistons

Over or under? Statistical goals for the Detroit Pistons

James Wiseman: Over or under 1.5 blocks per game

James Wiseman has never even averaged a block per game in his short career, which is not great considering his size and athleticism. For him to be a  quality backup center in the league, he has to get better on defense, which includes improving his woeful awareness and rim protection. If Wiseman can block closer to two shots per game in his 25 minutes, grab rebounds on both ends and run the floor, he can have a long career in the NBA. If he’s just a black hole who tries to post up all of the time, is constantly lost on defense and protects the rim like a guy who is 5-foot-9, then he could be sent packing before next year’s trade deadline.

Jalen Duren: Over or under 2 assists per game

Of all the big men the Detroit Pistons have, Jalen Duren should benefit the most from Monty Williams’ style of offense.

The offense is going to run through Duren on the high post at times, and he has already shown the ability to hit cutters with nifty passes out of dribble hand off situations and the pick and roll. Given that Williams’ offense promotes ball and player movement, Duren should get more opportunities to set up teammates and add nuance to his offensive game in ways other than jacking up jumpers. Duren averaged 1.1 assists per game this past season and should be able to double that number in a more dynamic offense that takes advantage of what he does well.