The front office of the Detroit Pistons has to be ecstatic with the present of the team, but they will always have one eye on the future.
We’ve spent a lot of time talking about whether the Pistons should try to bag another star this summer, but little talking about the fit of the guys they already have on the team.
Because Ausar Thompson missed the beginning of the season and then Jaden Ivey went down with an injury, there wasn’t much crossover between the two and we never got to see if they could co-exist in the starting five with Jalen Duren.
But the real question marks fit-wise are Duren and Thompson, as neither of them can shoot and there are questions about long-term spacing issues in the half-court offense.
Duren is extension-eligible this summer and the Pistons have to decide how much they want to invest in a center who has definitely improved, but still has some question marks when it comes to his long-term fit.
I have to say, those questions have quieted over recent weeks, as Duren has been much better on both ends, but he still has limitations that may force Trajan Langdon and the front office to make a choice next summer.
Jalen Duren or Ausar Thompson?
This topic was discussed at length on a recent episode of Game Theory with Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of Motor City Hoops.
The two discussed some of Duren’s limitations around the rim and his lack of instincts when it comes to spacing, though they did concede that he’s improved and that he and Ausar haven’t played enough together to draw concrete conclusions about their ultimate fit.
The Pistons don’t have to make a decision on this right away, as Duren is still under contract for next season and they could just let him play it out without an extension, which would obviously lead to an offseason of speculation that could leak into next year.
They could sign him to an extension this summer, but the number the Pistons are comfortable with and the number Duren wants may be far apart.
Detroit could also move him if they don’t think Duren is the long-term guy.
It’s a tough call for the front office, but to me, they almost have to offer him some kind of extension next summer, even if it’s one that might be lower than he wants. They don’t want his contract situation tainting the chemistry that has developed this season.
But they can’t go too high with Duren, as he’s still just a guy who dunks most of the time on offense (though his passing game has been good lately) and has limitations on defense, especially away from the hoop.
There is also his fit with another non-shooter in Ausar Thompson, and given the way Thompson has improved the defense, I’d have to think they’d stick with him if it came down to a choice between the two.
It’s a tricky situation for the Pistons to navigate, but they do have to ask these roster questions, namely whether they think the core of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren is one that can play together long term.
My feeling is that they can, especially if the Pistons upgrade the four spot post Tobias Harris with someone who shoots from range. One of the things these hosts ignored is that the current starting five of Cade, Ausar, THJ, Harris and Duren has been top-5 in the league in net rating, shoots nearly 52 percent from the floor and 36 percent from long range, so it's not like this group has struggled offensively.
For now, I’m just going to enjoy the rest of this season, but the Pistons have to be thinking about these long-term team-building issues and have a plan heading into the summer.
Jalen Duren can make it easy on them by continuing to improve and showing he can defend different kinds of centers in the playoffs, which he may get a chance to do if the Pistons end up playing the Knicks.