While the rest of the NBA is leaning into 3-point shots, the Pistons are getting it done with old-fashioned paint dominance, led by Jalen Duren.
J.B. Bickerstaff has brought back the physicality of the Bad Boys Pistons days and has a matchup nightmare he can exploit in Duren.
While some worry about the Pistons shooting, the truth is that their playoff success will have to come from the inside out, an anomaly in today's game. The Pistons are 1st in the NBA in points in the paint per game and 3rd at stopping them, so their playoff hopes are in the lane.
Looking ahead, obviously Cade Cunningham will be viewed as the player to lead Detroit into the postseason.
However, if the Pistons truly hope to get over the hump when April arrives, the real X-factor may be found in the frontcourt with emerging big man Jalen Duren.
Jalen Duren is the key to a Pistons postseason push
The Pistons success this season has been directly linked to not only the All-Star campaign from Cunningham, but the playmaker's running mate Jalen Duren.
Averaging 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while dominating in the paint shooting 63.1% from the field, the Memphis product has proven to be one of the most impactful big men in the league this season.
At 6-foot-10 and 250, Duren has the size to exploit mismatches on a nightly basis, especially when he proves to be aggressive.
Duren's leap has been major and while he received NBA All-Star honors for the first time in his career this season, it's fair to argue that his impact for Detroit has been overlooked up to this point.
When talking about dominant bigs in the league, there's not many who are doing what Duren is in the paint, especially considering that modern day centers are priortizing spacing the floor.
Looking across the landscape of the Eastern Conference, there's not one team that when the postseason begins that has a big man that can truly bang down low with a big of Duren's caliber.
Pistons have a postseason mismatch to exploit
The New York Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns, but his desire to stretch the floor and play less as a traditional big and more like a forward in Mike Brown's system limits how he'll impact a team like Detroit.
Outside of Mitchell Robinson's defensive versatility, New York's bigs don't pose that much of a threat.
Beyond New York, team's like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers could pose a threat, especially if the Celtics do indeed add Jayson Tatum back to the lineup down the stretch.
With Boston depending on an inexperienced Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic, who's playoff experience is limited, the Celtics could find it extremely difficult to limit Duren's impact in the paint, especially if he proves aggressive in a potential matchup.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers may have the biggest threat to neutralize Duren's game in Jarrett Allen, but even then, if Cleveland's best bet to offset the Pistons dominance is to depend on Allen to outshine Duren, head coach Kenny Atkinson will have a tough task ahead of him.
Detroit has the opportunity to become a nightmare for opponents in the postseason, and the key for them to do that may come by relying on Duren's dominance in the paint and getting him more touches.