The Pistons have been baffled by Jalen Duren’s terrible playoff performances, but there’s one cause that could explain everything and solidify Duren’s role on the team. He dealt with a knee injury in March and April that could still be lingering and leaking into his play. Duren hasn’t looked like himself at all against the Magic, and the knee injury could be the culprit.
Jalen Duren’s play has confused Pistons fans
Even though the Magic have done a good job of strategically limiting Duren, he’s still playing far below his usual level in areas beyond Orlando’s control. For example, Duren has been significantly worse as a rebounder and defender than he was in the regular season. He’s struggled in both the pick-and-roll and isolation against Wendell Carter Jr.
Duren hasn’t brought his trademark physicality and energy to the playoffs, even while other Pistons continue to manifest the spirit of Detroit basketball. It’s led to the Pistons being outperformed on the margins they’ve won all year, such as rebounding and points in the paint. Against most teams, Duren was able to overpower opposing centers with his size or slither by bulkier opponents with his quickness; neither option has proved fruitful in this series.
The sudden disappearance of Duren’s physical advantages is hard to explain with just a focused defensive gameplan and even getting into his own head. If Duren is nursing an undisclosed injury, that makes his performance easier to stomach and gives the Pistons hope that he can produce in the playoffs at full health. It might be the only pathway towards reaching a mutually agreeable contract extension this summer.
Duren can still play better even with limitations
If Duren is limited, there are still strategic ways for him to improve his play without relying on his athleticism. He’s drawn a ton of attention as a roller, so improving his playmaking out of the short roll can pay tremendous dividends for the Pistons offense. Additionally, Duren can also make himself useful on offense with off-ball screens and smart positioning.
It might not be the All-Star performance that fans hoped to see, but opportunistic scoring would be better than failing to convert his usual attempts. Defensively, he needs to increase his energy level regardless of any physical ailments. He hasn’t been active enough against either drivers or offensive rebounders in this series, leading to critical breakdowns in clutch possessions.
On defense, even minor improvements from Duren can go a long way since the Pistons have very strong defenders elsewhere to amplify his impact. The Pistons don’t need him to be Victor Wembanyama, but solid rim protection from Duren can get them back to their dominant regular-season level and create easier offensive opportunities.
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