The Detroit Pistons are having exactly the kind of start to this season the fanbase had hoped for heading into October. And it's not hard to see that the dominant play of Jalen Duren has been a big reason for that being the case.
Through the first eight games of the 2025-26 season, Duren is averaging 17.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on elite efficiency. He's shooting 61.9% from the floor and 83% from the free throw line, which translates to a 68% true shooting mark. For a center who is 21 years old and still developing his offensive game, these are some very serious numbers.
It's important to remember that this is a decently small sample size, but everyone who has been watching Jalen knows that the growth is real. He looks stronger, more decisive, and more dominant than he has at maybe any other point in his career. The Pistons are +14 points per 100 possessions when Duren is on the court versus -7 points when he's off. That's a massive +21.3 on/off differential, which is the kind of mark you only see from truly elite players.
Jalen Duren is dominating on a nightly basis
It's obvious that Duren's presence is altering games for anyone who's been watching or even just checking box scores. But if you ask opposing coaching staffs, I'm sure they'd also have plenty to say about how they've been having to game plan around his increased activity. As of this writing, Jalen's player efficiency rating sits at 27.1, which ranks 18th in the entire association.
One of the biggest markers of his improvement has been Duren's increased comfortability with self-creation. He is now scoring much more frequently off of quick face-ups, short-roll reads and other things that were much less frequently in his bag beforehand. He's improved his touch around the rim and he's been unafraid of putting himself at the free throw line. All of these things have made him effective in a variety of situations.
Defensively, Jalen's timing when contesting and overall activity in the paint has continued to make him a valuable anchor for Detroit's defense. And the craziest thing about all of this is, Duren is still just 21 years old.
He is already the kind of game-changing player that can help the Pistons reach a new level as a team. Few centers are able to match his mix of strength, athleticism, and touch. And yet, he's still not even the player he's going to be. That's a scary thought for opponents of Detroit to have.