Jalen Duren continued his All-Star campaign with a dominant performance against the Suns on Thursday night. The Pistons needed every bit of his 16 points and 18 rebounds to scrape out a win against the scrappy Suns. Duren continues to prove himself as a key force on the inside that's driving the Pistons' success and deserves recognition.
His star performances have also shown that the Pistons have the makings of a deep playoff team in-house already, and don't need to pursue a huge trade to get over the hump. Even with flaws, the Pistons can still find ways to win when they have two All-Star talents in Duren and Cade Cunningham.
Jalen Duren is in the running for an All-Star reserve selection
Based on fan voting results, Duren has practically no shot of being selected as an All-Star starter. He's been one of the best centers in the East, but doesn't even appear in the conference's top 20 when it comes to fan voting. The NBA also eliminated positions in All-Star voting this season, which hurts him since he has to compete with star guards now - including his own point guard in Cunningham.
But Duren still has a shot to get in as a reserve. Reserve selections are made by coach voting, where he might get more love. The Pistons record (29-10 now with a 4.5 game lead in the East) easily warrants a second All-Star. And Duren's improvements this season will be more obvious to coaches who watch him play every night than the average fan.
Yes, Duren's counting stats have gone up a bit and he's been a monster down low. That much is obvious just from the stat sheet. But his real growth has come as an offensive hub and defensive anchor. Duren is much improved creating plays for himself and others compared to previous campaigns. And his defense is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was even last year.
His unexpected offensive emergence has helped keep the Pistons afloat even in the midst of injuries to other players and struggles to get reacclimated. Duren has been one of the team's constants while showcasing growth on a constant basis. His improved handle and passing allow him to blow by defenders or find teammates for open shots - he's no longer a black hole once he catches the ball.
On the other end, Duren has become a great defender. This leap has had arguably the biggest impact on the Pistons' success. Between himself and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons can have an elite rim protector guarding the paint at nearly all times. Improvement in this category is what's truly earned Duren an All-Star selection.