Jalen Duren struggled to start the Pistons' first-round series against the Magic, but found ways to be effective as the series went along. Even though Duren took a step back to Tobias Harris as the second scorer on the team, he made an impact by focusing on defense and rebounding. It was very encouraging to see Duren make that smart adjustment at just 22 years old, and bodes well for his winning impact in coming years.
Jalen Duren shifted his game in a smart way
Duren had an embarrassing start in the first 4 games of the series as the Pistons fell into a 3-1 deficit. He was shooting just 47% from the field while averaging less than 10 points per game and just 8 rebounds per game. In many instances, he was getting outplayed by his own backups.
Unfortunately for him, the Magic were a terrible matchup because of their physical profile. They had a center in Wendell Carter Jr who could directly match up with Duren's physical advantages and take away his isolation scoring. Additionally, the Magic also had numerous other defensive disruptors who made it difficult for Duren to establish position or make clean catches on rolls to the rim.
But Duren steadily changed his approach to help the Pistons win 3 straight games and close out the series. He realized that trying to play like his All-Star self against the Magic wasn't paying off, so he went back to being a supercharged role player. In Games 5-7, Duren averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 62% from the field.
Duren's changes helped saved the day for Detroit
The Pistons have major implications stemming from winning their first-round series, and Duren will feel some of them. His change in play style was mature beyond his years, and showed the entire team that he is serious about winning at all costs. Rather than trying to force his individual numbers, Duren played smartly within the flow of the offense for the good of the team.
Not only was Duren opportunistic and efficient with his scoring, he also had perhaps his best defensive performances at the tail end of the series. He was great protecting the rim and even switching out onto perimeter ball handlers like Paolo Banchero. Duren also committed to controlling the glass and reduced Orlando's offensive rebounds per game from 13.5 in Games 1-4 to 8.3 in Games 5-7.
Duren might have better matchups in future playoff rounds and will need to step up his own dominance against certain opponents. But either way, it's good to know he can scale back into an effective role even when teams game plan against him.
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