Jalen Duren's reputation has completely flipped this season as he's taken a huge plummet from his regular season highs, but he began the process of redeeming himself in Game 6 against the Cavaliers. Duren had arguably his best playoff game yet and now has a chance to completely reshape his narrative if he helps the Pistons keep winning. Despite his struggles so far, Duren's playoff run can be remembered as a success if he plays well in a Game 7 win and ensuing playoff rounds.
Duren could be turning the tide on this postseason
In Game 6, with the Pistons facing elimination on the road, Duren came up big with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He did a great job of finishing at the rim, both off feeds from teammates and even creating his own looks. Compared to his other poor performances throughout the playoffs, Duren seemed noticeably more patient when attacking the rim.
The Pistons will likely need another strong showing from Duren in Game 7 to advance past the Cavaliers, especially if Cade Cunningham is anything short of spectacular. Between Duren's resurgence and a dominant defensive performance, Detroit was able to survive a mixed-bag performance from Cunningham in Game 6.
But any further regression from Duren will put the Pistons' playoff hopes at jeopardy. Detroit desperately needs secondary scoring alongside Cunningham, which other players are not talented enough to provide consistently. Detroit's success this season has been built upon Duren's scoring aggression and paint dominance on both ends.
Jalen Duren needs to continue hammering the fundamentals
Fortunately, Duren has the physical tools to be a dominant force for the Pistons with the right effort and execution. In Game 6, he also improved his rim protection compared to other games in the series and finished with 3 blocks. Better defensive effort from Duren plays a major role in disrupting the Cavaliers' offense and creating easy runouts for the Pistons.
When Duren is patient in his drives, his rim pressure also has huge benefits for the Pistons. On top of his own scoring, Duren can also create opportunities to crash the glass and create extra opportunities. Additionally, Duren had 4 offensive rebounds of his own in Game 6 thanks to his reinvigorated hustle.
If Duren can return to form and have strong playoff showings from here on out, he can still rehabiliate his image and secure a substantial long-term contract extension with the Pistons. That hope goes out the window if the Pistons lose Game 7 against the Cavaliers, since Duren has been hugely disappointing in the playoffs so far. But if he carries the same mentality as Game 6 and the Pistons get another round or two, Duren could prove his value once again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google