The Pistons are grappling with Jalen Duren on the terms of his next contract, but he's likely to return as the team's starting center next season. After his disappointing playoffs, Duren will need his coaching staff to put him in the best positions to succeed against the best teams. That's exactly where JB Bickerstaff can turn to the Knicks for inspiration in how they used Karl-Anthony Towns during their championship run.
The Pistons need to get more creative with Duren
Towns was previously known as a defensive liability and struggled to fit into the Knicks offense during his first season in New York, but flipped both narratives last season. During the postseason, Towns played solid (and sometimes exceptional) defense as the Knicks stormed through their opponents on the way to a title. He also found new offensive value as a playmaking hub, which gave the Knicks different options in their offense and also helped ease Jalen Brunson's burden.
Throughout the regular season and playoffs, coach Mike Brown steadily built Towns' defensive confidence by mixing in different coverages and letting Towns play to his strengths depending on the matchup. His best attributes as a defender are his size and rebounding, which Brown emphasized whether Towns was playing a center straight up, switching onto a slashing guard or hedging against a slower-footed ball-handler.
The Pistons have traditionally saved their more creative coverages for their more defensive-minded centers, Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed. But they will need Duren to retain more value on that end next season, especially with Stewart gone. Instilling more confidence in him early on across different defensive schemes could be a major ace up Detroit's sleeve when the playoffs roll around.
Duren can take some offensive inspiration from Towns too
Obviously, KAT has a level of offensive talent that Duren will find very hard to match. Towns' ball-handling and shooting are some of the best in NBA history at the center position. It's unrealistic to expect Duren to emulate those unique strengths. But he can tap back into the playmaking he showed in his earlier seasons to uplift the entire Pistons offense.
During the Pistons' 2025 playoff series against (ironically enough) the Knicks, Duren routinely punished the Knicks with smart passing. Most of this came out of the low post or on the short roll, finding cutters along the baseline or spraying out to corner shooters. But Duren also showcased some intriguing skills as a high post hub on occasion.
That high post is where Towns' offensive transformation was most apparent in the 2026 playoffs. By running actions through him, the Knicks could give Brunson a breather and let Towns make plays for his teammates in a more open floor. If Duren can get to the same point, it should help Cade Cunningham conserve energy and give the Pistons more ways to utilize their newfound spacing next season.
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