Much like the Detroit Pistons as a whole, the narrative around Jalen Duren has changed as the season has progressed.
He had a slow start, and by his own admission, was playing “soft” at the start of the season.
You could say the same about the entire team, as the Pistons started slowly and didn’t start to build the defensive identity that has defined their season until the start of 2025.
That coincided with better play from Duren, who is a force around the rim offensively and one of the best rebounders in the league.
Questions remain about his defense, which has improved, but he’s still one of the worst centers in the NBA when it comes to opponent’s field goal percentage around the rim, in stark contrast to his teammate Isaiah Stewart, who has been one of the best.
If the Pistons make the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if Duren gets played off the floor by one of the stretch fives that have killed him all season, and if it’s Stewart who ends up getting more minutes even though JB Bickerstaff has had him on a strict diet of 20 per game all season.
The questions won’t get easier this summer, when Duren is eligible for an extension and the Pistons will have to decide if they want to commit to him long term, and if so, how much to offer.
Bleacher Report recently did a “burning questions” article for every team and the Pistons’ centered around their young big man.
Detroit Pistons: Is Jalen Duren a building block?
If you had asked me this at the beginning of the season, my answer would have been “pending, leaning towards no,” but given he is still only 21-years-old, it’s tough to project what Duren can ultimately be.
We know he’s a force on the boards and is second to none as a lob catcher, having built a great chemistry with Cade Cunnigham. We also know he’s not a great rim protector and struggles to defend away from the basket, two skills that are key for NBA centers.
It’s a tough call, so I’ll look at it from all angles.
No, he’s not
If you look around the league, few teams have heavy money invested in one-dimensional centers. In fact, few good teams have much money invested in the position at all unless they have an MVP candidate playing there.
Defending the rim and stretching the floor are two important skills for modern NBA centers and Duren does neither.
Investing upwards of $25-30 million a year for a one-dimensional center is a fast-track to payroll problems, as you can potentially find lob threats who rebound for far less money.
Yes, he is
We keep forgetting that Duren is just 21 and will undoubtedly get better as he continues to figure out how to play defense in the NBA.
He may never develop a jumper, but his ability to catch lobs creates gravity in the paint and makes Cade Cunningham’s job a lot easier.
His defense has improved, especially his activity with his hands, and he knows this has to be the priority of his development, so it’s something he’ll continue to work on with focus in the offseason.
The Pistons don’t necessarily have to commit to him via extension this summer, and could let him play out his final year and become a restricted free agent, where they would still exercise a degree of control and will have another year of data and film to evaluate.
It’s way too early to declare what Duren can and can’t do, as he may not even start hitting his peak until the end of his next contract and he’s already pretty good.
It depends...
One for the fence riders.
Duren can absolutely be a part of this team’s future core, but it really depends on the price tag, which is why the Pistons may be better off signing him this summer, when the cost could feasibly be lower than in restricted free agency.
If Duren willing to sign an extension in the range of Isaiah Stewart’s, it’s probably a done deal, as that is minimum wage for an NBA starter. The question is whether a deal in that range is one Duren will sign, and my guess is no.
Like with Malik Beasley, the Pistons are going to have to decide how much is too much for Duren and draw a line they feel comfortable won’t put them in financial peril in the future.
Trajan Langdon’s biggest calls next summer will be on his own guys, and I don’t envy the work he has in front of him, as tough decisions will have to be made.