Jalen Duren has been playing like an All-Star and the Pistons will have to do everything in their power to lock him up long-term. After yet another dominant showing against the Nets, Duren is up to 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. He looks like one of the best centers in the entire league right now, and the Pistons will have to compensate him accordingly if this play keeps up.
Jalen Duren is taking a leap before our eyes
Duren seems to get better every game: he's active on defense and devastating as a roller, using his physicality and surprisingly adept handle to attack the rim. His emergence in the last 5 games is a major reason that the Pistons now find themselves atop the Eastern Conference. More and more, Duren is looking like a long-term piece in Detroit with high potential and a strong foundational skillset.
The Pistons thought they would have to wait until Jaden Ivey's return to find a true second start to support Cade Cunningham. But Duren is already alleviating pressure from Cade through an expanding offensive role. Duren's efficiency in the pick-and-roll, which has always been deadly with Cade, has shot through the roof this season. But it's his more subtle improvements that are making a world of difference for Cade.
Duren is now capable of being an offensive hub and generating solid offense without Cade. His proficiency as both a screener and passer make him a great option in the dribble hand-off game with Duncan Robinson. And Duren has even shown some growing ability to score in isolation against lesser centers, typically by taking them off the dribble. Against the Nets, he even had a midrange jumper off the dribble that really turned heads.
Defensively, Duren has shown tremendous improvement in his execution and focus. He's always had the physical tools to be an incredible rim protector with the right technique, and now he's living up to his potential. He is holding opponents to a career-best 47% at the rim, which is a drastic change from the 63% he gave up last season. If Duren can maintain his two-way play for the whole season, the Pistons have no reason to avoid committing to him long-term.
The Pistons chose not to extend Jalen Duren this summer and let him enter restricted free agency next year. They will still have the opportunity to match any contract that another team offers him, which could be a very lucrative deal at this point. The Pistons took a risk by not extending Duren and he will soon make them pay in his next deal. At least he is proving himself worthy of the hefty contract that he seeks.