For the second straight game, the Detroit Pistons were largely without the services of their starting center after Jalen Duren was ejected after playing just 12 minutes against the Rockets on a night when they desperately needed him. The Pistons were able to grind out a win anyway with Isaiah Stewart, Tobias Harris and Paul Reed picking up Duren’s slack. It’s only two games, so you don’t want to overreact, but Duren is not off to a flying start in his quest to get paid like a star center.
Jalen Duren has to prove he can stay on the floor
Duren got into foul trouble early against the Bulls and then picked up two techincals in short order against the Rockets when he shoved Ausar Thompson and then nearly took his head off with a swim-through elbow. These are the exact types of plays JB Bickerstaff talked about avoiding, as they were both fairly clear-cut techs in the modern NBA. After seeing Ausar Thompson pick up a questionable T for facing off with Jabari Smith, it was clear the refs weren’t messing around, so Duren has to be smarter.
To be fair, he’s been good when he’s been on the floor, the problem is he hasn’t been out there much so far in two games because of foul trouble, something that has been an issue for him. Duren has to stop picking up the cheap ones on moving screens and has to stop chirping with the refs.
Duren and the Pistons were unable to come together on an extension this offseason, and the two sides were reportedly far apart on a number, with Duren seeking upwards of $30 million per year.
Obviously, the Pistons aren’t going to make any future decisions about Duren based on two games, but it’s not a good look for him to get booted out of a game in which the Pistons were already desperately outsized and for the team to pull off the win without him.
And let’s be frank, if you watched these two games and didn’t know anything about the Pistons, you’d think Isaiah Stewart was the starter and better player even though he too had his night shortened by fouls. In defense of both players, the refs last night were abysmal and ruined what should have been a great game with constant pedantic whistles, fouls and reviews.
Duren will learn from this, bounce back and start having monster games, I have no doubt, but these are the types of outings that are going to make the Pistons second guess how much to pay him, so if he wants to get paid, he has to stay on the floor.