One of the most exciting developments in Jalen Duren’s game last season was his improvement in the short roll, an area where he needs to continue to evolve in several ways.
The Pistons used Duren as a playmaker at times in the playoffs at the top of the key to the elbow area out of short rolls off picks. He was effective as a passer, hitting Ausar Thompson on back cuts several times and helping to open up the Pistons' struggling half-court offense.
Duren is already an elite rebounder, and he made strides as a defender last season after a shaky start. He showed impressive consistency for a young player, and even though he still had flaws, he played surprisingly well in his first playoffs.
The Pistons still haven’t extended Duren, and there hasn’t been much talk about the process. After seeing some of the numbers thrown around for other centers, we can get a general idea of what Duren will command, but the Pistons might also be happy to let him play out next season and deal with him in restricted free agency.
For Duren to show he’s worth a big extension, he needs to have a more dynamic offensive game that starts with increased plays out of the short roll.
Jalen Duren: Shot making, passing and takes to the rim
In addition to showing some prowess as a passer (Duren averaged 3.5 assists per game in the playoffs, mostly from the short roll spot) Duren showed some ability to get to the rim off the bounce.
When teams completely ignored him out there, Duren did show that he can put it on the floor, and we know he knows how to finish once he gets to the rim. It would be nice to see him attack those situations more aggressively, as he has a quickness advantage over a lot of centers and pretty good handles for a guy his size.
But for Duren to hit the next level as a big, he will eventually have to be a threat to score from the free-throw area with a jump shot. This is how Bam Adebayo separated himself from some of his peers and made himself more effective in two-man games with guards, including Duncan Robinson, who is now on the Pistons and could develop a similar rapport with Duren.
Duren doesn’t have to start launching 3-point shots or become a stretch big, but he can be an offensive weapon from the short roll spot, especially if he attacks more off the dribble (for dump off passes to cutters or dunks) and/or starts hitting a 12-15 foot jumper, something he’s shown he can do after averaging nearly 70 percent from the free-throw line for his career.