Jalen Duren has turned Cade Cunningham's absence into a career-defining run

The Detroit Pistons have played the past five games without MVP candidate Cade Cunningham. In the process, they've been forced to confront the narrative that they're a one-man show on the offensive end of the floor, with Cunningham's high-volume play and the perceived lack of shot creation depth creating inevitable question marks.

With Cunningham sidelined, however, All-Star center Jalen Duren has turned in a career-defining run that's revealed that he has MVP potential of his own.

Duren has put together a phenomenal 2025-26 season. He secured his first career All-Star Game appearance and is well on his way to All-NBA recognition as the interior anchor for a 53-20 Pistons side that relies on him for high-level performances on both ends of the floor.

That's translated to the box score in the form of averages of 19.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 offensive rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.9 steals in just 28.0 minutes per game.

When Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung and was thus ruled out for an extended period of time, however, many questioned if Duren could anchor the offense. The Pistons aren't devoid of talent, but they lack shot creators and playmakers who could simplifiy the game for Duren in the way Cunningham is able to.

Lo and behold, Duren has reached a level that not even the most committed of Pistons fans expected him to. He's even rivaled the great Wilt Chamberlain.

Jalen Duren proving he's still a superstar without Cade Cunningham

In five games without Cunningham, Duren is averaging 24.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.4 offensive rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.8 blocks per outing. Detroit has gone 4-1 during that time, even securing a victory over the 48-26 Los Angeles Lakers.

Duren's most recent performance saw him post 30 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals on 10-of-12 shooting.

In the process, he joined Chamberlain and Hall of Fame power forward Charles Barkley in rare air.

Beyond the numbers, Duren has answered the persistent questions about what his ceiling and true value is on offense. He's not dependent on a star-caliber teammate to create everything for him, but is instead capable of stuffing the stat sheet and leading his team to victory regardless of his surroundings.

That's thus positioned the Pistons star to make even more money when he enters free agency this coming summer—perhaps even securing a full max-level contract.

Jalen Duren has reached a new level since Cade Cunningham's injury

One of the primary reasons to believe in Duren's success is that he's proven capable of playing more minutes without sacrificing quality. 28.0 is by no means underwhelming for a starting center, particularly when there's a backup as prolific as Isaiah Stewart on the roster.

Duren has averaged 35.3 minutes per game over his past three outings, however, and has exceeded 30 in five of the past seven. One of the exceptions was a blowout and the other saw him commit five fouls.

That's inevitably set the stage for Duren to prove what his per-36 numbers had already established: He's statistically elite. Thus far in 2025-26, he's averaging 25.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.0 offensive rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes.

With Cunningham out of the lineup, Duren is proving that he can translate those numbers to a per-game basis when his number is called and his star status needs to be affirmed.