Jalen Duren has shown he can be a star for the Detroit Pistons, now he just has to do it consistently.
Duren has shown clear growth on both ends, and for the first time in his career, the Pistons are a better defensive team when he’s on the floor. Detroit is leading the league in blocks and rim protection, and Duren has been a big part of that. The effort has been there, and so have the results.
Offensively, he’s a force in the pick-and-roll with Cade Cunningham. The two of them are locked in and if defenders step off Duren to double Cade, he’s there for the lob. Duren has shown more facing up and beating defenders off the dribble, and he’s even thrown in a post move now and then.
Given that he’s 21-years-old, there is still plenty of growth to come, so if he keeps this up, he’s going to get paid like a top five center at the end of the season. But he has to do it consistently, which he hasn’t so far in the young season.
Jalen Duren has to dominate consistently , and he can
Duren has figured out that he has a strength and athleticism advantage over most centers, and he is using it to lead the NBA in second-chance points by getting to the rim for offensive rebounds.
He’s also getting to the line at the highest rate of his career and has hit 83 percent of them so far. Teams can no longer foul Duren with impunity, which makes him tough to stop. He has to tap into this dominance more frequently, as his stat line has been all over the place.
He had 24 points and 18 rebounds against Boston, followed by 8 and 7 against Cleveland, 21 and13 against Orlando, and 33 and 10 against Dallas, followed by 14 and 9 against Memphis.
He went for 22 and 22 against Utah and showed he has the capacity for legitimate interior dominance.
Duren mostly takes the game as it comes to him, and the Pistons don’t run a lot of plays for him outside of lobs, but he has to keep attacking when he has his chances, especially off the dribble and in transition.
It’s been an inconsistent, but exciting start for Duren, who may be the answer to the question of who the Pistons’ second star is.
The Pistons have been dominating teams the old-fashioned way, with an incredible +18 advantage per game in points in the paint, which is making up for their lack of outside shooting.
Oklahoma City rode this model to a championship last season, so Duren's rim protection so far has been as important as his 18 points per game. If Duren can consistently be a 20 and 10 center, it unlocks a new ceiling for the Pistons.