Despite the drawn-out contract standoff between Jalen Duren and the Pistons, Detroit is still reliant on him to provide any secondary creation and scoring alongside Cade Cunningham. As of now, the Pistons have failed to add any other All-Star talents to take pressure off Cade, so they will need Duren to maintain his All-NBA play from last season and carry it into the playoffs.
The Pistons will need Duren to reach even greater heights
Although the Pistons have doubts about Duren's long-term potential as a second star following his playoff disappearance, they haven't acted on that fear in any meaningful way. Instead, Detroit has found itself on the short end of many trade talks for stars, which leaves them in a similar boat to last season.
The Pistons know that Cade is a superstar after his incredible offensive display in the playoffs, including 28 points per game without much offensive help. But no one star can win a championship by themselves anymore in today's NBA. And the Pistons' current best shot at creating more offense on their roster is still Duren.
Part of the Pistons' inactivity surely comes from the uncertainty of Duren's eventual extension holding up other possible transactions. But even with that consideration, they've had the opportunity to land big-time help this summer if they gave up enough assets. However, the Pistons front office has remained too timid so far to jump on a big trade. Even while going back and forth with Duren on his next contract, the Pistons are showing some faith in their foundation around him and Cade by not bringing in another star.
Detroit could be setting up Duren to fail
However, this reluctance to make a big trade might just be putting Duren in a position where he can't succeed. Realistically, it will be hard for him to improve his self-creation to a true All-Star level against playoff defenses by next season, considering his limited offensive repertoire. If the Pistons hope to continue pairing him with Ausar Thompson, another young star with even more limited offense, they are doing both a disservice by not adding another star to alleviate scoring load.
Given the level of star power on genuine championship contenders these days, the Pistons should aim to have Duren serve in a tertiary star role instead of being second fiddle to Cade. If they could add another fearsome scorer or creator, Duren could dominate in his role and have more freedom against occupied defenses. Opposing coaches also wouldn't be able to gameplan against his weaknesses as effectively, so his strengths could shine.
The sooner the Pistons realize a certified second star is necessary for their team construction, the better their playoff chances will be. Obviously they have already been in the market this summer but their lack of success in courting a marquee target also indicates a lack of aggression in their offers.
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